When All The Good Angels Sleep
by Blue Jeans
Summary: Life had never been better for the Sailor Senshi team. They had defeated their enemies, are finishing high school and looking forward to a new future. But what awaits them there may be more devistating than anything they have ever imagined. Post SS/AR
1. The First Sheep Named Infection

A Note to the Readers: All contents in this story is under an   
artistic license. Fact and fiction will be clomped together into   
one huge blob. In other words, don't bother me about debating   
whether some conversations in this fanfic is truly based on   
fact... as Naoko Takeuchi has done many times. Truth, after all,   
is an elusive thing! ^-~. Enjoy!  
  
When All the Good Angels Sleep  
******************************  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
"No te engano la primavera"Did spring never deceive you  
con besos que no florecieron?"with kisses that didn't blossom?"  
  
--Pablo Neruda  
("The Book Of Questions")  
  
  
"And I looked, and behold a pale horse:   
and his name that sat on him was Death."  
  
--Bible: New Testament  
(Revelation 6:8)   
  
  
The First Sheep Named Infection  
-------------------------------  
  
"Sometimes an omen can be good, other times  
it could be bad. Yet, either way, it will  
always bring another path to destiny. Your  
mother once accused me of not caring enough  
to help with building the future, that I  
never followed through with my duties even  
though I am the one to start the process, and  
I told her that it would be impossible for me  
to interfere. I knew too much after all. It  
was my duty to say so, because I could not help.  
My duties at the gates would not allow me to   
and my excuses kept me safe. It made many  
resent me and many more distrust me. Yet, I   
admit to you now, my Queen, the Queen that I   
had always dreamed of and followed to make you  
real, that I had been lying. I know nothing   
except the goal. One day you may forgive me for  
not telling you this, but I did not know then   
that there could be a hundred paths taken to the   
same lighted way. Can you blame me? I am only a  
guardian, a watcher of time. I am not the begin-  
all, end-all of all things. I only tell you what  
can be, it is your choice of what paths may lead  
you there. But it is partially my fault that you  
are here, that you have changed 'this' way. You  
may blame me and tell me that this is not the  
utopia that you dreamt of, but we both know 'that'  
is a lie. You just did not anticipate the price   
you had to pay for it."  
  
--Sailor Senshi Pluto  
("Letters To The Queen")  
  
  
  
They came softly like the snowflakes falling upon the Earth,   
drifting as much as descending. Their cocoons were undisturbed by   
the locals because even the locals knew not of their existence.   
Black as the night they were born from they descended from the   
outer reaches of the galaxy, seemingly undetected by all that lay   
sleeping upon the blue-green planet. In many ways they resembled   
shapeless shadows, having no form and no shape, but their touch   
was solid.  
  
They had many names, yet only one name will always be   
remembered. That was the name chosen for them by those who had   
encountered others like them - youma - demons of the night. They   
had many purposes, but only one would prevail. Their hollowed   
sockets looked out into the darkness. They made no cries to prove   
to the world their existence nor did they see the stars sparkling   
above. All they saw was soft colors of auras; anything alive they   
could see.  
  
The movement of the small tangible thing quivered at their   
approach, one youma took notice of it. The small creature bolted   
but before it could get far razor sharp claws slashed through its   
flesh, pinning it to the ground in a bloody mess. The creature   
twitched and made a noise to moan in pain, yet that was the last   
sound it made before its body became still on the ground. The   
youma seemed intrigued, but something called to it soundlessly.   
Retracting the sharp, steely claws it turned, forgetting the dead   
creature in the sand as they trudged on toward the lights in the   
distance.  
  
Civilization was the only word that echoed in their minds.  
  
It was their only destination.  
  
***  
  
The fluorescent lights flickered in a rhythmic motion   
between dim and dimmer, casting the room in eerie light blue and   
black. Soft breathing could be heard, the only other sound that   
broke the silence. A dark head tucked beneath folds of arms and a   
white lab coat moved slightly before settling, the white back   
heaving with every breath. An empty coffee mug lay on its side on   
the messy desk filled with papers and scattered pens. Multiple   
screens were on, some with strange images going over them well   
others scrolled down information automatically, picking ones that   
were already specified. Three old black telephones hung on their   
silver-metallic hooks as the clear, plastic circular dial lay   
peacefully on top.  
  
The figure shifted, mumbled something in sleep before   
abruptly waking at the ringing from one of the phones. Jumping up   
in surprise, the man accidentally knocked over the mug that   
smashed into pieces on the ground. "Damn!" He swore as the   
persistent ringing of the phone called him away. Grumbling after   
a few seconds of disorientation, dark eyes flashed as an awkward   
hand picked up the phone. "What?" Irritation could be heard from   
the half-wakeful voice, husky from fatigue and groggy from the   
momentary nap.  
  
"Morning Core, nap time's over." A no-nonsense voice   
answered calmly over the line.  
  
"Apparently so." Core grumbled as he straightened in his   
seat. "What do you want?" He asked gruffly.  
  
"How's your research going Core?" The other deftly avoided   
the question.  
  
"Fine." He answered, already sleep was seeping from his   
eyes and his voice became sharper and more alert.  
  
"Good, good--"  
  
Before the other could go on, he cut in. "We know this is   
no social call so get to the point, Kalic. Why are you calling?"   
While he waited for the other to collect himself, Core shifted his   
eyes at the smashed pieces of the mug and swore silently again at   
the mess on the floor.  
  
"There have been several deaths in Southern Italy. We're   
not sure what..." the voice trailed off.  
  
Core's eyes shifted from the floor, becoming more interested   
at where this conversation was going. "Go on." He encouraged,   
his voice softened to a smooth lull.  
  
"We think it might have become an epidemic. I had thought   
it was some really sick homicides at first but now, there's too   
many deaths for it to be humans doing the killings." Kalic   
finally said in a deadly soft tone. There was no telling how the   
other felt about this, but it was evident that this was something   
big and something bad.  
  
"What would make you suspect that?" Core asked. Picking   
his words carefully. Kalic was a hard man to impress and even a   
harder one to convince, Core had learned of this from experience,   
but Kalic had learned too to trust Core's instincts and   
suggestions as well. Most importantly, Kalic had been able to see   
the genius in Core's research. It had surprised Kalic, at first,   
when the other requested that his name should not be published   
with his paper. Instead, Core wanted to send most of his work to   
petty professors, all of whom, Core knew, would plagiarize his   
work and put their name on research not their own. Still, he   
cared about his identity more than his popularity. He had no care   
for fame, only knowledge and the spread of information from the   
things that he had gathered.  
  
"In the last two days, a hundred people have been reported   
to have become affected with this disease. At least ten have   
already died from this, twenty others are dying and the rest are   
showing signs of the beginning stages of this illness. God knows   
how many more are infected but aren't showing signs!" Kalic was   
clearly disturbed. Even for a hard man like him the rate that   
this was going was horrid. What's worse is that they had no idea   
what had caused it, nor did they know who was the primary host or   
hosts for this new disease.  
  
"That's only 10% mortality, Kalic, don't kill yourself over   
it. It's too early to even be sure it's the same agent that   
caused the cases." Core said casually, though dark eyes narrowed   
at the words spoken, waiting for the response it was meant to   
provoke.  
  
"Core, I'm not joking here. I've already sent you photos   
that came in today. Check your email and think it over. I'll   
call you in forty-eight hours. Keep at least one line open for   
me." Kalic didn't need to remind him to keep a line open for him.   
One of the phones not apparent on the desk was the private line   
that only a select few had and Kalic was one of them. It would   
stay open at all times.  
  
"Yes." But the line was already dead when he opened his   
mouth to say that single word of understanding. That word fell   
only to the ringing of the phone. He grimaced. It must have been   
even more serious then he had thought, for Kalic never hung up on   
him before. It seemed that the other had been concerned enough to   
forget his manners and for Kalic it would take a catastrophe to do   
that. Hell, from the first time he met Kalic, he had thought a   
catastrophe wouldn't even be able to do that! It was definitely   
something big.  
  
A savage grin appeared on his lips as he flicked his eyes to   
one screen. In the blink of an eye he was viewing the photos the   
other sent him. It was not pretty. Now, he understood why Kalic   
had told him specifically, probably only him so far, to find the   
cause. But something like this, you couldn't keep down forever,   
and by the rate it was spreading it would be out in less than two   
weeks. His dark eyes turned solemn at the thought. Now he had   
less than two weeks to find the cure. "Hell, that's not enough   
time to get me a new coffee mug!" He cursed before giving a soft   
sigh of fatigue as he leaned against the chair to look at the   
ceiling above him. His eyes blinked to the beat of the lights as   
he silently called to the computers before him. Black wires   
suddenly sprung up around him but he seemed oblivious to their   
dark and menacing gleam.  
  
They coiled around his body as the room slowly began to be   
cluttered in the cables that sprung up, crawling like snakes   
toward Core. Their bodies twisted hypnotically before puncturing   
his skin, yet no blood came. The screens shone and in a moment,   
images began to pop up at speeds faster than the blink of a human   
eye. The desk began to descend into the floor until nothing   
remained in the room, not even the pieces of the coffee cup that   
was once on the floor beside the desk. The room slowly began to   
fill up with liquid as the lights continued to flash in an   
unbidden rhythm that beat against the ceiling.  
  
The hunter was out to find its prey.  
  
***  
  
"Ami-chan!" A whining voice broke through her concentration   
to the point at which she could no longer ignore it. "What are   
you doing?" Curious blue eyes looked over her shoulder to the   
textbook in her lap, but she was not reading it. Between the   
pages of the textbook lay a small compact computer; seemingly no   
different from the new trend of palm held calculators that had   
suddenly become so popular in Japan, especially in Tokyo.  
  
The blue-haired girl blushed at the discovery but smiled   
gently at the curious odango-blonde who peered over her shoulder;   
a dark cat with a crescent moon upon its forehead looked equally   
interested from the shoulder of the odango-blonde. At the   
reminder of what she was reading, her blush faded and her face   
became serious once more. "I've been tracking some of the   
activities in the other countries over the last few years. Since   
your knowledge of politics needs to be extended, I need to keep   
you up-to-date, Usagi-chan." She said but before she could   
continue, she caught sight of a shadow at the corner of her eye.   
"Na ni?" She whispered softly to herself, so soft the odango-  
blonde did not hear her but the dark cat looked quizzically at the   
blue-haired girl.  
  
"Oh, Ami-chan! So, that's why you've been forcing me to   
read those boring newspapers everyday, ne?" Usagi cut in, not   
allowing the cat to do more than gape. Irked at being cut off   
before she could start, the black cat gave her owner a sweep of   
her claws as Usagi squealed in surprise and pain. "Na ni, Luna!   
Why did you have to do that?" The odango-blonde exclaimed before   
she started to weep loudly. Luna deftly pounced from Usagi's   
shoulder to Ami's when this began to happen, wanting to be able to   
hear for the next few hours, as well as to stay dry.  
  
"Deserved it for having such a big mouth." Luna sniffed as   
she contentedly rested on the blue-haired girl's shoulder. The   
odango-blonde still continued to cry. Ami instinctively tried to   
calm the girl, yet blue eyes never ceased to search her   
surroundings suspiciously. Seeing Ami's searching gaze, Luna   
began to investigate the general area as well but could find   
nothing that would have otherwise alerted her sense of the evil   
that Ami seemed to suspect with each wary glance.  
  
"Daijoubu Usagi-chan?" Ami finally asked when she too came   
to that same conclusion moments later. The blonde had calmed   
somewhat, but had noticed the delayed reaction in her friend.  
  
"Hai, Ami-chan." Usagi sniffed, but the blue eyes looked   
more concerned at the blue-haired girl. Suddenly forgetting all   
that had been bothering herself, she smiled at her friend warmly,   
"What's wrong Ami-chan? You seem not yourself today." Usagi   
asked gently. Startled, Ami looked to her blond-haired friend and   
for a moment she caught a glimpse of what Usagi might be like in a   
distant future.  
  
"I'm fine." She replied quickly, giving a reassuring smile   
in reply.  
  
Somewhat soothed for the moment, Usagi nodded as her eyes   
suddenly returned to their normal girlishness. "Ne, Ami-chan? Is   
it a new boy that's been occupying all your time online? You know   
you promised that you'd look into the boyfriend department once we   
were in high school, and now it's our last year! This is so   
exciting! Of course, these online boyfriends are becoming such a   
trend in Tokyo! Don't tell me you have been keeping a beau behind   
that screen of yours without telling me!" Usagi wiggled her   
finger at her blushing friend, who blinked at her several times.  
  
"Usagi-chan--" the blue-haired girl stuttered.  
  
"Oh, personally, I do prefer flesh and blood. I mean, I   
would never be able to just 'chat' with my Mamo-chan online   
without wanting to be next to him." The blonde continued with a   
dreamy smile, seemingly to have forgotten her. She sighed in   
relief though discovered too late that it was too soon to hope,   
"But if that's your preference Ami-chan, I understand. Ne, it   
wouldn't be that Urawa-san back in junior high would it? Or some   
guy you met at one of those classes you take after school all the   
time, or did you find someone to--"  
  
"U-S-A-G-I-chan!" The odango-blonde stopped in the middle   
of her interrogation of Ami to look up and see another sunny   
blonde racing towards them.  
  
"Minako-chan!" Usagi jumped up excitedly towards the other.  
  
Groaning, Ami quickly packed her bags. "Best get out of the   
line of fire before it gets any worse!" she thought as the two   
blondes squealed at each other in delight as if they hadn't seen   
each other in years when it was merely an hour or two. Strange   
what a few classes of math and science would do to those two,   
though she could never understand the reasons for it, especially   
since she found them to be the most stimulating. "Where do you   
think your going Ami-chan?"   
  
Snapping out of her revery she found herself backed by two   
grinning blondes. Apparently Usagi had already filled Minako in   
with the details of her latest discussion. Sighing in   
resignation, Ami set down her bag as Luna gave her a pitying look.   
Wearily Ami turned back to face the firing squad. "Good luck!"   
the dark cat whispered before jumping from her shoulder. Giving   
Luna a hard glare for abandoning her, she turned to see two girls   
ready to burst with questions.  
  
At that moment she wondered if this torture was worth it, or   
if they felt tortured just keeping it all corked up inside waiting   
to explode. In less than a moment the two were barraging her with   
questions that she never even had time to answer. Too bad Makoto   
wasn't here, at least then she could read her book. But then, it   
was just her luck that the tall brunette was staying a little late   
during classes to finish her cooking, Usagi and Minako would be   
too interested in the food that the brunette would bring soon   
enough, and then Ami could get back to her books.  
  
Silently Ami waited for her time to escape into the quiet of   
the library, where she could finish her research.  
  
  
Luna ran down the sidewalk, giving a backward glance at the   
blue-haired girl being bombarded with squeals and questions from   
the two blondes before her. With a pitying look at Ami and an   
exasperated glare at the other two, Luna turned towards the street.   
Her blue eyes narrowed dangerously as she crossed the   
road, glad that the traffic was lazy and almost non-existent,   
before slowly picking up her pace to a new destination. Though   
Ami was occupied, and Usagi had not been much help, Luna was able   
to catch a glimpse of the result on Ami's computer. And not just   
that, she could see the small window with the neat kanji message   
signed Setsuna at the corner of one screen. From years of   
experience and the memories of the distant past, Luna knew well   
that this was not a good sign, especially when the apprehension   
within Ami's eyes shone brighter than she had ever seen it. Yet,   
it was not just Setsuna's message that had disturbed her, but one   
that was not signed by anything but the name "CORE" in English   
letters who had written to the blue-haired girl about a strange   
epidemic that was spreading suddenly in Southern Italy, as well as   
accounting other strange events.  
  
Something was definitely up. Whether this was Sailor Senshi   
business or just a very bad omen she was not sure of, in fact, it   
could even be a trap! But there was not much else she could do   
but investigate it by going to someone with some insight into what   
the future held without going to see Pluto herself. Anyway, if   
Rei wasn't able to decipher what this new mystery was, Luna would   
eventually have to go to central control room to check out what   
had been going on anyway (dragging that lazy Artemis with her if   
she had to) to get the job done!  
  
"Luna, I finally caught up with you!" panted a white blob   
as she paused in her swift jog to glance over her shoulder at the   
familiar voice.  
  
Giving the newcomer a lazy gaze she turned once more to the   
walkway in front of her. "Oh, Artemisu, you're way too out of   
shape." Luna sighed as she continued on, only a little slower   
this time, out of pity for her new companion of course.  
  
"Wait! Wait Luna!" The white cat panted as he finally   
caught up. Looking at his inability to keep up somehow made her   
heart soften slightly, but not enough to slow down too much, just   
a little so he could catch his breath.  
  
"You really should work out more Artemisu," she scolded the   
other with a twinkle of amusement in her eyes.  
  
"Yeah, tell that to my lungs." The other retorted   
sarcastically.  
  
"Hm, I'm surprised that Minako-chan doesn't keep you in   
shape or at least on your toes. Even Usagi-chan can do that to   
me." Luna said with a wider grin.  
  
"Yeah, as if she's ever done anything to keep herself in   
shape." Artemis grumbled. "Anyway, how do you do it Luna?" He   
asked, wanting her to falter.  
  
"All those morning jogs with Usagi-chan, especially carrying   
her forgotten lunch, can keep anyone healthy." Luna winked   
playfully. Artemis gaped at this as the dark cat giggled at his   
expression. "Anyway, I thought you were used to chasing Minako-  
chan by now." Luna said off-handedly with a flick of her tail,   
turning to the street in front of them once more and easily   
picking her way through the shuffling of human feet that strolled   
by them without so much as a glance.  
  
Artemis twitched visibly at the pun. "I do not chase after   
Minako for your information." Artemis exclaimed as he picked up   
his own pace, one that Luna followed easily - an action that irked   
him more.  
  
"Oh, right!" Luna chuckled. "As if having you cling to her   
shoulder and flying down the street like a kite-cat is any   
better." Luna deliberately added a little of her Japanese accent   
to make him sound like a chocolate bar.  
  
Artemis grumbled something under his breath about "revenge"   
and "soon". Not really minding this in the least, Luna let him   
stew a little longer, if more tolerant than usual of his grumbles.   
After all, he deserved it, especially since he should've been   
using his paws instead of trying to catch a free ride all the   
time.  
  
It took a while but they finally reached the wrought iron   
gates against polished marble walls that were decorated with deep-  
green ivy. "So this is Rei's school." Artemis commented with a   
low whistle. "Man, no wonder Minako was so envious when she found   
out that Rei went here!"  
  
"Among other things," Luna said rolling her deep-blue eyes.  
  
They stealthily crept through the gates and quickly climbed   
up the tall oak trees, trying to see where Rei was taking her   
classes. A caw from above surprised both of them, and Artemis   
nearly lost his balance when he jumped a little from the branch he   
was on. Waving his paws frantically to try to regain his lost   
sense of direction, he yelped as his body swayed. This was   
especially unpleasant a surprise for Artemis since he knew that   
though other cats may land on their feet, he probably won't. He   
knew this was true from morning experiences with Minako, and it   
took him a while before he could finally regain some balance in   
his small body. "Shimatta!" he cursed as he clung to the branch   
to keep from falling to the hard ground below.  
  
The cawing started anew, only this time more mirthful,   
joined by a feminine laughter that could only be Luna. "Oh   
Artemisu!" Luna grinned softly as she saw him climb clumsily back   
onto the dark branch already in another sulk. "You're very   
comical today," she finally said with an added giggle that she   
couldn't seem to keep down.  
  
Glaring at her he licked the back of his paw trying to   
smooth his ruffled fur. "Well, isn't it great that I prove to be   
so entertaining for your--"  
  
She strode before him and placed her nose to his in a silent   
show of fondness that immediately shut him up, another surprise   
for him since he caught up with her today. Her blue eyes sparkled   
into his green ones as she smiled, "You're wonderful Artemisu."   
She softly said before turning to the ones who had disturbed him   
in the first place.  
  
"Luna..." he began, but was unable to finish as she only   
looked back at him with a wink.  
  
"I don't think we need to search any longer Artemisu,   
apparently Rei-chan has found us, well, at least her guardians   
have." The crows above them cawed again, one of them smoothing a   
feather before both took off, leading them to their master. They   
were able to locate the dark-haired woman soon after. She was   
sitting by the building with a smile on her lips as she chatted   
with some other girls. Dark-hair spilled over one shoulder as she   
laughed at a joke that both the cats had missed, but her eyes   
found them before they had need to make their presence known.   
With an animated smile she excused herself and headed in a   
different direction.  
  
"Where's she going?" Artemis asked surprised. "I was so   
sure she saw us."  
  
"Baka!" Luna sighed, "She wants us to follow!"  
  
The two crows above them cawed in agreement as Artemis shot   
them a glare. "Oh, what I'd do to--!"  
  
"Careful now Artemisu, they are also guardians." Grumbling   
the white cat nodded before glaring at the crows one last time as   
he turned up his tail to follow. The crows seemed amused at this   
but said no more, her look of gratitude though was enough.  
  
"Thank you," she mouthed. And for a moment she saw the   
illusionary faces of the silent guardians of Mars looking back at   
her with gentle smiles. 'You are very welcome Luna, we are glad   
we can help those of the Moon, just like our Rei-chan is glad to   
serve your Moon Princess. We won't forget you, Luna. Just   
remember, fate sends strange messengers!' With that they spread   
their wings and fluttered from the trees without a sound. 'Keep   
your hopes alive!' were the last traces of communication between   
them before that too had faded to nothing but memories.  
  
Nodding at the enigma they left to her she turned to the   
direction where the dark-haired woman and her white companion had   
already headed to. Perhaps, Rei-chan would be able to tell her   
more about what was to come, or perhaps not, but either way what   
must be will come. With that in mind she looked around to make   
sure that no one was watching before quickly slipping along the   
tracks of her more brazen partner.  
  
Still, the shadows were silent. Still they watched.  
  
How much they understood was not known.  
  
But they watched and they knew more than they would show.  
  
***  
  
Sweat trickled down her brow as she shifted the pan from the   
oven carefully. Wiping it away with her free hand, she then   
dusted away some of the flour that clung to her apron. Sighing   
happily with a smile, she set down the tray on the rack to let it   
cool. "Usagi-chan and Minako-chan will be pleased with this."   
She said to herself with a small grin. Just imagining the looks   
on those two's faces made her grin widen.  
  
It had been an uneventful year, just like the last one.   
Nothing had happened since the defeat of the Dark Moon Circus and   
now they were working hard to catch up on all the years they had   
missed on being normal people. It had almost surprised her when   
she woke in her bed sleeping, panicking at first at what happened   
to Usagi before relaxing at the memories of the defeat of   
Nephrenia. It was a relief that Tokyo was free again from the   
nightmarish dreams that had haunted her for sometime, and when   
they had first settled into high school too! She was glad of   
this; glad of the peace, but something didn't seem right now that   
things had settled. True, Nephrenia had lost and no longer was   
she a threat to their future, but something was coming, something   
troublesome and dangerous. She knew, after all, she was the   
wielder of storm and in her heart she felt that silent storm   
gathering at the horizon, a hidden intensity that scared her with   
its unknown powers.  
  
Come to think of it, they never found out exactly how   
Crystal Tokyo came into being. Never did they even question the   
trials that would follow, in fact all they could gather was that   
there would be an ice-age much like the ones long ago, only this   
time they would sleep frozen for sometime before they would awaken   
and rebuild Crystal Tokyo. Hell, they didn't even know how long   
it would be before they would sleep as a bunch of frozen icicles!  
  
A rumble disturbed her thoughts as she realized it had come   
from her own stomach. Laughing softly at this, a blush spreading   
across her features, she quickly gathered the stray cookies from   
the rack and packed them in a nicely tied package. It's about   
time to visit her friends, especially since lunch was waiting to   
be eaten!  
  
Stepping down the corridor she saw a shadow pass her,   
startled as she felt a darkness descent. She quickly turned to   
find that the corridors were empty. "Na ni?" She whispered in   
suspicion, emerald eyes narrowing into dangerous slits of fiery   
green.  
  
She ran down the corridor to the nearest hall and saw   
nothing but a passing shadow that swiftly disappeared.   
Determined, she raced down towards it and turned to see that it   
led to a darker corridor, a figure that nearly merged into the   
shadows was the only silhouette she could detect. "Na ni?" She   
whispered to herself, getting ready to do battle. Of all of her   
years as a Sailor Senshi, she had never had to change in her   
school. Disturbed at this, with a hint of discomfort she looked   
around to make sure no one was near. Not only that, she knew that   
even though she might be more powerful than she had ever been   
since the boost in her powers two years ago, it had also been two   
years since she used them. I've been slacking, we all have.   
Knowing this unsettled her somehow and distracted her as well.  
  
It couldn't be an enemy, she thought. How could it be? An   
enemy had never attacked them this time of day unless it was the   
weekend or during vacation, and what was more, it had never   
attacked them on such familiar ground! It couldn't be! Maybe she   
was going out of her mind, but she was sure she felt a dark   
presence, strong enough for her to detect and she had no special   
abilities to sense this like Rei or the cats.  
  
Her senses told her that her target was near, too near for   
comfort. She stepped back into her own shadows as she pressed the   
emergency button on her communicator. It took longer than usual   
for them to answer, probably because they hadn't done this for   
such a long time. The timing was bad, but still she could do   
nothing about it now, "Min'na, I sense a youma in corridor 5."   
She said softly when four faces finally popped up.  
  
"Mako-chan, you can't mean in our own school!" Usagi   
exclaimed in surprise.  
  
"Hai." She said uneasily, searching her immediate   
surroundings.  
  
"We'll be there in a jiffy!" Minako said as she turned from   
the screen and was gone with Ami and Usagi.  
  
"You sensed it Mako-chan?" Rei asked, though somewhat   
surprised, the look on the dark-haired girl's face was more   
disturbed than surprised.  
  
"Hai, I fear that it has a very strong presence." The dark-  
haired girl frowned at this, as she looked away from the screen,   
soon two more faces popped up.  
  
"Mako-chan, I want you to wait until Usagi-chan and the   
others are there. Don't attempt to fight this thing on your   
own." The dark cat on Rei's shoulder ordered, Makoto gave a   
prudent nod.  
  
"Understood," she answered.  
  
"Mako-chan, be careful." Rei said softly with genuine   
concern. Purple eyes looked to her for reassurance but then the   
other's expression changed, and she felt the shadows shift behind   
her. "Mako-chan, jump!"  
  
No time to think, she dived, feeling something cold and   
sharp cut through her uniform, skiming her flesh as it ripped   
through her cloth. Crying out in surprise, she dropped her   
communicator as she slammed into the opposite wall. Long fingers   
suddenly wrapped around her throat. Damn! She thought   
desperately as she grabbed onto the scaly arm with her free hand   
and realized that she was in no position to transform.  
  
"Stop right there!" A feminine voice cut through. She   
immediately felt relieved that the others had gotten there on   
time. Thanking whatever gods there were that it had been indeed   
in the school the four of them attended.  
  
'Sailor Senshi.' The youma muttered, but it had no mouth to   
mutter from! It sounded like a whisper, as its face turned to the   
new comers. She could hear Super Sailor Moon gasping in horror   
and could almost imagine the disgust on Sailor Venus's face.   
Taking the advantage of the momentary distraction she slammed her   
leg into the youma's own and knocked the thing off balance,   
freeing herself when its dark body fell onto the cold floor.   
Mercury immediately brought her hands to her chest and unleashed a   
volley of fog giving Makoto enough time to escape. Somewhere in   
the denseness she cried out her own transformation and no longer   
was she helpless to the being that had threatened her life but   
moments ago. "This one's mine!" She called to Super Sailor Moon   
who was already clutching to her wand in the mists.  
  
Just when it cleared, the youma stood. Its skin was all   
black and it had no features, only shapes and wisps of would-be   
hair. Its hollowed sockets looked to them with their own menace   
as it stood and stalked towards Super Sailor Moon, the closest   
target and the most unwilling one. "Jupiter Oak Evolution!"   
Sailor Jupiter screamed as she sent the golden-green energy   
slamming into the darkness of the youma. It screamed at the pain,   
only it was not like any sound she ever heard, and before Super   
Sailor Moon could do more the creature disintegrated into   
nothingness. Super Sailor Moon stood staring in shock at exactly   
how easy it was, seeing that even the weaker youma they had faced   
had needed her to at least finish the job!  
  
Grinning Jupiter gave a thumbs up to her fellow senshi,   
"That was easy!" she said with a smile. Sailor Mercury was   
looking at her carefully, walking to her side before forcefully   
turning her one way. "Na ni?" She exclaimed in surprise. The   
blue-haired senshi ignored her complaint and continued to examine   
the wound that was on her right arm.  
  
"Daijoubu Mercury?" Super Sailor Moon asked worriedly once   
she got over her shock. Looking between her two friends with   
equal concern, but Mercury was ignoring her too, or too busy to   
reply to her questions.  
  
"I'll need a sample of your blood today after school and I   
want you to go home and get that wound bandaged up." The   
commanding tone Mercury used told her that it would be useless to   
try to argue.  
  
"Min'na! Min'na, answer me damn it!" All attention turned   
to see the communicator a few feet away.  
  
"Gomen ne Rei-chan!" Laughed the nervous Sailor Venus who   
bent and picked up the communicator. "We forgot that you're not   
offline yet."  
  
"For God's sake de-transform before anyone can see you in   
that!" Rei snapped on the other line, giving the sheepish blonde   
leader a glare.  
  
"Yatta! Yatta!" Venus said. Playfully sticking her tongue   
out at her friend. Super Sailor Moon twitched slightly with worry   
for Jupiter and their sudden appearance in their school. Not   
being able to help Jupiter the way she wanted to and having   
Mercury already scuff her away, she hurriedly looked around to   
make sure that the coast was clear. They stepped into the   
abandoned hallway and reverted back to their normal selves as soon   
as Mercury finished checking on Jupiter. Minako handed the   
communicator back to Makoto who received it graciously.  
  
"Min'na, I better go! Class will be commencing soon." Rei   
explained, after they agreed on a meeting later on in the day at   
Makoto's apartment as Mercury had suggested. "Call me if anything   
else comes up!" And without waiting for an answer Rei logged off.  
  
Makoto staggered a little when she tried to straighten from   
leaning against the wall after she had pocketed her communicator,   
feeling slightly light headed all of a sudden without the tiled   
support of the wall. It startled her, and not only her, but the   
others as well. Mercury did not de-transform, her face was grim   
as ever. "Usagi-chan, I want you to change back to Super Sailor   
Moon."  
  
"Na ni Ami-chan? I just--" Mercury gave the odango-blonde a   
hard glare that immediately shut the other up. Obediently she   
turned back to Super Sailor Moon in a flash. Though, not long   
before, Usagi would've wailed with hurt at the commanding tone her   
blue-haired friend used, this time she said nothing. Whether it   
was because of Makoto's lack of balance or because of the sudden   
appearances of a youma in their school -- hitting home a little   
more closely than usual -- was hard to tell.  
  
"I want you to take Mako-chan home, and you should revert   
back to your Senshi form." Mercury told the startled brunette.   
"I don't want you to change back to your normal self unless you   
absolutely have to," she said softly. Her eyes were worried but   
she betrayed none of those feelings in her voice.  
  
"How can I just leave school?" Makoto asked in surprise.  
  
Mercury smiled at this and turned to the startled Minako.   
"Minako-chan, I hope you are still carrying your compact with   
you," the blue-haired senshi said with an amused smile at the   
blonde beside her.  
  
Minako grinned. "Of course!"  
  
"All she needs to do is act sick, as you of course Mako-  
chan." Mercury told the tall brunette.  
  
"You're a genius Ami-chan!" Exclaimed Super Sailor Moon.  
  
"Shhhh!" They shushed their excited princess.  
  
"Gomen." Sailor Moon said with a blush and a sheepish grin.  
  
"Now get moving, when the bell rings, go to the roof and try   
to get as far away from here as soon as you can. Mako-chan,   
transform, we can't have others see you like that. It is best   
that if anyone catches you, they see you in senshi form. You two   
should leave now. Minako-chan and I will be going to the nurse,   
she can change into you too Usagi-chan." Grateful, the odango-  
blonde senshi smiled at this change of events, especially now that   
she got to miss class.  
  
"We'll meet at Mako-chan's apartment after school as   
planned, stay there and make sure to report any change in Mako-  
chan's health, especially if Jupiter is affected." Nodding in   
understanding Sailor Moon waited for Makoto to transform back into   
Jupiter and the two left. Minako watched as Mercury quickly   
reverted back to civilian form as soon as she made sure that   
Sailor Moon was off of the school grounds.  
  
"Okay, let's get this plan rolling." Minako said   
enthusiastically as she produced her compact from her dimensional   
pocket.  
  
"Yare yare," Ami muttered but complied as the two headed   
toward the nurse's office.  
  
Of course, Ami, already engrossed in her research on the   
health of their auburn-haired friend, did not see the pensiveness   
that seeped into the blue eyes of her blonde companion. For after   
all, though Minako was the leader, most of the time she didn't act   
it. Even though she had power enough, she was lenient and many   
times allowed Sailor Moon or the other senshi to do all the   
deciding with her, if not sometimes for her. How Rei and she   
stayed best friends was still beyond Ami, though none of the   
senshi would ever admit to not understanding what Rei and Minako   
found in common. But of course, they had missed the time that Rei   
and Minako would quietly sit and discuss the events that had been   
happening, or when Minako would go respectfully up the hundred   
steps of the Hikawa-Jinja each time they had an enemy to ask for   
Rei's advice. They would not know that it had become a secret   
tradition for Minako to continue the pilgrimage to visit her dark-  
haired friend even after the dangers had dissipated.  
  
None of the other Sailor Senshi could understand the silent   
respect Rei had for the carefree blonde, for it was hard to win   
much ground with the dark-haired girl, especially with how the two   
girls started off. Rei would never talk about it, but she knew   
that it would only take time for them to see that Minako was the   
chosen leader of the Sailor Senshi once Neo-Serenity was on her   
throne. After all, wasn't Minako the one who beat the   
undefeatable Kunzite when not even Sailor Moon could? Wasn't it   
Minako who killed Queen Beryl while Usagi faced off with Endymion?   
Wasn't it Minako who had to fight evil since the age of thirteen?  
  
To Rei, the quiet moments spent with her blonde friend had   
made it clear to her that though Minako was sometimes gossipy and   
noisy, she was not stupid. In Minako, Rei had seen the qualities   
of the ancient leader of the Sailor Senshi shining through those   
sky-blue eyes, past the millennia of forgotten lore and hidden   
pasts. So Rei waited and did not speak of the courage that she   
saw in the ditz blonde friend she spent more time with than any   
other Sailor Senshi, she did not tell the others that the one   
person who knew them best was Minako, and that when the final   
battle came, it would be Minako who would finally have her chance   
to shine. Instead, Rei waited as Minako continued to act like she   
always acted. But the time of upheaval had arrived, and though   
Ami might not have seen the determined glint in Minako's eyes nor   
would she have noticed the increasing confidence in the strides of   
the blond-haired girl beside her, the time of rebirth had arrived   
and none of them would walk out of this battle the same as they   
were now.   
  
  
"So the invasion has begun?" The sandy-blonde replaced the   
cup back onto the delicate cream saucer.  
  
"The mirror confirmed our earlier suspicions, but it is   
clear that the attacks should be appearing any time now." The   
aqua-haired woman sitting beside the sandy-blonde nodded in   
confirmation.  
  
"It is not so surprising that it is now that they attack."   
Another woman with long elegantly dressed dark hair, tinted green,   
addressed the two women before her.   
  
A teenage girl around fifteen sat beside her. She had   
remained silent through out the conversation, but now decided to   
speak up. "Setsuna-mama, is this the reason why I've suddenly   
begun to grow again?" The raven-haired girl asked. Her large   
purple eyes filled with curiosity and mysterious shadows.  
  
All three women looked discomforted by the statement, "I   
hope not." The sandy-blonde muttered. It had been hard now that   
Hotaru had started her growth spurt once again. They were forced   
to pull her out of the junior high as it would be more difficult   
to keep her away from prying eyes now that she was no longer a   
little girl.  
  
"Daijoubu-yo Haruka-papa, I'm sure I'll survive." The   
raven-haired girl smiled as she set down the cup of tea she had   
been cradling between her slim hands. "Usagi-chan won't let   
anything happen to any of us. I know she won't!" The innocent   
smile radiated a trust and warmth that reminded them of their   
blonde princess, their savior.  
  
"Hai Hotaru-chan, but we will make sure nothing will   
endanger you if we can help it." The aqua woman told her with a   
motherly smile.  
  
"Arigato Michiru-mama!" Hotaru bounded from her seat and   
gave the older woman a warm hug.  
  
"Ne, why don't we go for ice cream hime-chan?" Haruka asked   
the young girl fondly.  
  
"Great Haruka-papa!" The sandy-blonde gave the two women a   
wink and led Hotaru to the counter on the other side of the small   
cafe.  
  
"Haruka seems happy since things have settled." Setsuna   
commented, leaning back on the cushioned seat.  
  
"Hmm," Michiru agreed as she twirled a silver spoon in her   
tea. "Ne, Setsuna," Michiru paused. As if searching for words   
for what she felt she finally met the curious gaze of her dark-  
haired friend, "I feel that an unrest has fallen over Tokyo once   
more, but the darkness is fainter yet my dread is greater. I   
really do hope that Hotaru will not be dragged into this."   
Setsuna sighed as she looked into the liquid in her cup, staring   
at the woman who reflected her sadness and her severity. "Peace   
was such a nice change from the battles, I had hoped that the   
oncoming sleep would be easier." Michiru chuckled softly, "I   
guess the Inners have truly made us all soft and hopeful inside."  
  
Setsuna smiled at this and patted the other woman's hand   
from across the table, "Daijoubu Michiru, what will be will be."  
  
Nodding, the aqua-haired woman smiled and the two shared a   
moment of their own peace. "I'm glad that you've returned to us   
Setsuna." Not knowing quite what to say to that, Setsuna found   
herself smiling slightly in appreciation.  
  
"Ladies, here are the ice creams," the husky voice of Haruka   
interrupted their quiet conversation.  
  
"Arigato," Michiru nodded as she took her cone from the   
hands of the grinning blonde.  
  
"Michiru-mama, I got a free cone!" Hotaru announced   
proudly.  
  
"Oh? And how did our little hime-chan do that?" The aqua-  
haired woman looked suspiciously at Haruka.  
  
"Ara, the counter-boy thought she was cute, I had nothing to   
do with it." Haruka answered coolly.  
  
"Haruka-papa threatened the counter-boy," Hotaru added   
matter-of-factly.  
  
"Haruka!" Michiru scolded as Setsuna chuckled at this.  
  
"So I told the boy to buy the ice cream for our hime-chan   
like a gentleman should instead of just gawking at her." Grumbled   
the blonde. "There was no threat in that!"  
  
"Haruka-papa threatened to beat him to a pulp if he   
didn't." Hotaru spoke up once more, this time receiving a glare   
from the sandy-blonde.  
  
"Daijoubu, daijoubu Haruka." Setsuna chuckled at the   
other's expression. "She has you pegged!"  
  
"I can see that!" The blonde scowled at this and took   
another swallow of her cooling tea. "Outdone by my own   
daughter," muttered the blonde to herself that only caused Michiru   
to laugh softly at the comment. Haruka gave her a lopsided grin   
but said nothing more.  
  
"Michiru-mama, do you know who the enemies are?" Hotaru   
asked innocently after spooning a piece of the ice cream. A   
silence fell across the tables for the three older women were   
still unused to her talking so boldly about Senshi business.   
Perhaps it was because they had gotten too used to her youth.  
  
"Hime-chan, they are like shadow demons, a breed of youma we   
have never met before." Michiru filled in the silence.  
  
"Strange that they have not yet attacked a larger area."   
Haruka pondered out loud.  
  
"They seem smarter than the ones Usagi fought with long   
ago." Setsuna said thoughtfully. "It seems that they are using   
stealth instead of brute force."  
  
"If they are using stealth, I wonder about their strength."   
Haruka answered.  
  
"They seem a lot like the daimons my father used to make."   
Hotaru added. Startled once more, they looked at her in silent   
observation.  
  
"Hai hime-chan, like the daimons, but perhaps not   
sophisticated enough to use human beings as hosts." Michiru   
answered, saving them once more from an awkward silence. They did   
not mention to their young daughter that it might be worse than   
the daimon in that it did not need a human host to survive and to   
spread.  
  
"How soon would you estimate them to start their attack?"   
Setsuna asked, rouge eyes staring pensively to the city below.  
  
"I think they have already started." Hotaru answered softly   
as she looked down at her tea. They understood the implications   
of that statement for the raven-haired girl had been sprouting   
growth once more, a sign that foreshadowed coming doom and   
dangerous battles. A signthey accepted with gravity. However,   
they had not yet informed their future Queen of the startling   
revelation.   
  
"Well, at least it'll be getting interesting around town   
again!" Haruka said cheerfully, eyes gleaming with silent menace   
as she cracked her knuckles in anticipation.  
  
Michiru chuckled at the comment as Hotaru giggled at the   
wink the sandy-blonde gave her, but Setsuna stayed eerily silent.   
The dark-haired woman stared down at the city as if she were   
seeing another in its place, "May our ways be lighted!" She   
whispered to herself as the images of the looming future flickered   
before her eyes, unsettling her heart.  
  
***  
  
Kuragari Fuma stepped in the streets of downtown Juuban.   
Dark sunglasses covered his eyes, eyes that narrowed at the lights   
as he stepped from the darkness of the club's hallway even though   
they were protected by the dark tints. His blond hair stood out   
in this part of town, though he was partially glad that he was not   
anywhere near the richer areas since tourists were known to mingle   
during this time of year and cameras of the locals were also known   
to flash when they weren't gawking at the visitors, or the other   
way around. As far as he was concerned it was best that no one   
took any pictures of him, especially since he didn't want anyone   
to suspect about his origins. For Kuragari Fuma had a problem, he   
was not photogenic, literally. In fact, his pictures always   
showed up blank, as if he wasn't even there. He had made the   
mistake once or twice already and had to deal with the   
consequences, all of which had been ... unpleasant.  
  
Strolling down this part of the street was interesting in   
that he had never had time to observe his surroundings till now,   
in fact he had been too busy to notice anything while trying to   
detect any signs of evil. He slung his leather bag over his   
shoulder before throwing back a strand of hair as he strolled down   
the dirty streets. If he had been uptown he'd be in a much   
cleaner environment, he knew that, but that wasn't what he was   
sent for. A few nights before, the program dubbed "C-O-R-E"   
called him for a mission, a special mission that only he and a   
select few others could attend to without risk, to be the Hunter.   
He had a feeling that the elements that had allowed him to be what   
he was now also made it impossible for him to remove the microchip   
at the base of his neck. It was the exact same spot that allowed   
C-O-R-E to access into his brain and dispatch him for this   
mission. And for now, it was probably surveying things to the   
extent that even he would fail to do for it saw and heard   
everything that he was able to hear and see. In a way, this   
program was the God of the computer world, if not of the   
technology world. It still bothered him slightly that though he   
might feel real and be perceived as real, he was no more than a   
holographic image of his old self. Hell, he wasn't even human   
anymore!  
  
Unknown to the citizens of Tokyo, or the world for that   
matter, the leaders of underground research labs had been able to   
start a top-secret project for the government. The founder of   
this project had chosen to remain silent, and even Kuragari, once   
known as Fuma by his dead friends, and Kura by his living   
colleagues, did not know the origins of his 'birth'. Birth in   
that he was not born human. Actually, perhaps, a long time ago,   
Fuma was a human being - maybe he still had a body -- but then he   
had somehow ended up here, a half-ghost, half-man machine that   
could be perceived and touched but never truly known. In truth,   
even if Fuma was connected to a machine and did indeed have a real   
body he would not know where to look for it, nor did he think he   
would want to if he had the chance, for who knows why he was   
chosen for this project. It had saddened whatever heart or soul   
he had left, but not enough of it remained for him to feel truly   
sorrowful, nor did his doubts on how much his feelings were real   
or just a program make it easy for him to just contemplate upon   
his strange emotions. His mind could not comprehend it to be   
real, much less take it seriously with any consideration of its   
consequences! Fuma's perceptions of all things were different.   
His perception of time was warped. In fact, he wasn't really sure   
how old he was. All he knew was one thing, and one thing only: He   
was a computer program and his mission now was to find the   
virus, which supposedly first appeared in Southern Italy. His job   
was to isolate and discover the true origins of the virus itself.   
This job, and his program were probably saving a lot of lives, of   
researchers and doctors alike. Of course, none of them knew about   
Fuma, nor did he think he wanted them to know of his existence and   
the existence of those like him. Stupid people tend to want to   
misuse machines like him, so it was in the best interest of   
everyone else that he was not known.  
  
True, the few that did know and had created him weren't   
prefect, but at least he had some freedom. Though they tried to   
make him as 'human' as possible, his electric mind and heart could   
and would never agree. But when your brain's 2/3 metal and   
wirings, complete with futuristic technology and computerized   
chips that 99.999% of the world never even knew about, it can put   
your doubt about "where your heart lay" in a whole new   
perspective! At least, when you are human you can trust that your   
heart is alive and real, an organism that moves to support the   
body, but when its just another piece of machinery, it can make   
one wonder just how brilliant the programmers they recruited for   
your cybernetic body and brain were. A strange tingling at the   
back of his neck interrupted his contemplation on his own   
existence, as it had done many times in the past.  
  
As a precaution, he did not stop to search the grounds   
frantically for signs of confirmation. Instead, he continued to   
walk down the street a little more. To an ordinary observer, he   
was a clueless boy strolling down a very bad part of town, but   
then they could not see his instant link to the satellites in   
orbit above Japan and checking the alleys and stores he had just   
passed, searching through data that might give him some clue to   
what he was looking for.  
  
His black suit seemed typical of a young man in an elite   
university, one that made him stand out more, but that was what he   
wanted. Make yourself less noticeable by being noticeable;   
anyway, after a second glance most people will get bored of it.   
There were so many sake-drinking students and they just might   
mistake him for one of those human boys. He retreated his steps   
before pausing and listening to the soft beep on the side of his   
ear. Apparently he had missed something because of his earlier   
broodings, though his bionic brain that continually scanned his   
environment did not. What surprised him though was that he   
stopped before a quiet little junk shop, a store that most people   
would've passed without even noticing it to be there in the first   
place! "Hmm," he muttered to himself thoughtfully as he studied   
the sign that hung at the top of the store's doorway. He had   
actually been studying some of the 'phenomena' circling Tokyo City   
when he found out about his assignment, scanning over the stories   
even if they seemed bogus. From what he had recalled, most of   
these parasites, if not all, seemed to prefer places that were   
more public or had a likely chance of becoming so, making it easy   
to take whatever it is they need from human beings, be it energy,   
memory, or an advanced host. It seemed that this was not a usual   
place for creatures of such nature, a nature that seemed imbedded   
into the parasites' genes since there seemed to be little evidence   
that there were other cases similar to these. What puzzled him   
more was that, had this been a busy street he would've understood   
why the parasites might cunningly have chosen to hide here, but it   
was not. Unlike the rest of downtown Juuban, this part was a dump   
and many people avoided it unless they came looking for something,   
be it trouble, drugs, or both. The traffic was at its highest at   
night but it was no place to seek any lasting hosts, nor was it   
any good to take over scarcely populated places. Taking note to   
keep the doubts he had inside, he thought best to at least check   
out what had been jumping on his sensors. If it wasn't the demons   
he was sent to look for he wanted to know what had enough power to   
cause this to go off in his head. Maybe it would help him in his   
investigation and understanding of the strange events that had   
been happening globally. After all, this could prove to be   
interesting! He walked to the door and turned the knob after only   
a few seconds of hesitation, opening the creaky old brown door.  
  
***  
  
Ami examined Makoto's wounds carefully after removing the   
bandages as she frowned over the scarring that was rapidly healing   
before her eyes. To ordinary humans, this might be a surprise,   
but to the Sailor Senshi, it had become somewhat of a habit. The   
blood of Sailor Jupiter was already being tested, but it was not   
what worried Ami. Though Jupiter was healing quickly she was in a   
fever. Ami reviewed the notes she had memorized from her   
communication with CORE, trying to see if this might be the deadly   
virus that he had spoken off. Her hand did not shake despite her   
uncertainty, nor did she allow herself to feel desperate for Usagi   
would panic and it was best that no one distracted her from her   
work or Makoto from her sleep.  
  
Rei bent down and replaced the damp cloth with another cool   
one and Ami was thankful for the dark-haired shrine maiden's   
presence. Minako was bringing more water from the bathroom and   
Usagi was trying to contact Mamoru. For that, Ami was thankful.   
Though the dark-haired prince had already finished his last years   
of med-school, he had an even busier schedule now with his new   
doctor's job. Ami sighed as she scanned the data her computer was   
gathering, checking to make sure the results would be hers in a   
few more minutes.  
  
Rei stood up and headed for the door, "Where are you   
going?" Ami asked surprised.  
  
"Someone needs to cook dinner and knowing Usagi, she'll   
start complaining about her stomach soon. We all know what a   
disaster zone Mako-chan's kitchen would be if we let 'her' cook!"   
Rei said with a bit of a chuckle. Ami knew immediately that the   
dark-haired woman was trying to lighten the mood and she had to   
admit, she was a little hungry.  
  
Luna and Artemis were already busying away at Central   
Control, looking up clues on their computers. Maybe it had some   
kind of history on Earth or on the Moon, and from the little   
information they hoped to salvage, it might be able to help them.   
All their enemies had a history somewhere, this one couldn't be   
this powerful and still be new, could it? Anyway, as worried as   
the cats were, they couldn't help take care of Makoto now, and   
they needed to do something useful without getting in anyone's   
way. Though, somewhat painful to admit, they finally agreed to   
research what they could and leave the senshi on their own. It   
was hard on them, with worry on top of losing some status as   
guardians, their pride was battered at this very moment. Luna was   
especially distressed at this new brush with helplessness.  
  
Yet, the dark cat had not protested at all. Thank the gods   
for Artemis, who found the perfect time to stick his paw in his   
mouth -- so to speak -- and make a fool out of himself just to get   
Luna's mind off of the hurt she was feeling. Sometimes, that cat   
reminded her so much of Minako, it was amusing.  
  
The activities in Makoto's kitchen returned her attention to   
what she had been working on and she turned back to her computer   
once more. The faint smile that had lingered on her lips from   
Rei's earlier banter, disappeared. Her brow became a frown as she   
tapped at the keyboard at an almost frantic speed. Her blue-eyes   
widened and then narrowed. "Shimatta, it can't be!" She   
whispered to no one in particular except herself. Her eyes   
clouded and her senses reeled at her discovery.  
  
The epidemic was now in Japan.  
  
Brought on by a youma and hosted by a senshi!  
  
***  
  
Alyssa Smith stepped out of her sleek, black sports car,   
setting one black booted foot onto the concrete ground of the   
garage. Her blue eyes studied her surroundings from behind her   
dark sunglasses. Rouge lips thinned in distaste as she saw the   
dim fluorescent lights lining the top of the cement ceilings above   
her. She walked briskly to the elevator, impatiently pushing the   
'up' button of the elevator.  
  
By the time she got to the tenth floor a look of boredom had   
already replaced the earlier impatience. The door slid open to   
reveal a bustling office with large windows lining all sides of   
the room, people moved quickly in and out of the rooms as they   
hurried to their tasks. She walked with a careless saunter as she   
approached the gilded doors at the end of one grand hallway.   
Opening its massive doors, a waiting room revealed itself, in it a   
much older lady with fading gold hair and a fake smile looked up   
at her, startled. "Good evening Miss, how may I help you?" She   
ignored the superficial woman who quickly tried to intercept her   
when she went for the dark oak doors that the woman's desk sat   
next to. "You can't go in there, Miss! Not unless you have an   
appointment!" The woman said hurriedly, a trace of great   
annoyance in her voice. "Miss? Miss!" The old lady made a grab   
for Alyssa's arm but never got hold of it as she turned to her.   
Dark curls tumbled in agitation, blue eyes sparked and turned to   
liquid red as she snapped her hand out and held the older woman in   
a strangle hold.  
  
"I'm sorry, I think you're the one who's not where you're   
supposed to be." Effortlessly, she threw the woman crashing to   
the opposite wall and turned back to the door. Opening it she   
stepped through, her eyes immediately falling on the dark chair on   
the other side of the room.  
  
"Who--?" The startled figure turned to see her leaning   
against the side of the door.  
  
"Hello, are you Christopher J. Michaels?"  
  
"Yes, why do you--" the door crashed open as two security   
guards rushed in to see Alyssa leaning against the door. She did   
not turn to even look at them.  
  
"Intruders are never welcome, you must understand that."   
She said with a frown at the interruption. "Be gone." She waved   
the men away and in a flash they too were sent crashing, but this   
time by a different force.  
  
Michaels sat there with a frown when he saw the events   
occurring before him. His dark eyes narrowing dangerously with   
suspicion, "Who are you and what do you want?" He demanded.  
  
"Me? I am somewhat of a collector." She said with an   
irritating smile, straightening and walking toward him like a   
hunter to a prey. "And you Mister Michaels, have just been   
recruited. I'm simply here to collect you."  
  
Dark eyes widened as he rose, "On whose authority?"  
  
"Mine." She said as she grabbed his arm.  
  
The door crashed open as the security group, all armed with   
guns and bulletproof vests ran in, only to find themselves   
pointing into an empty room.   
  
The two had already disappeared.  
  
  
  
"In the last two days, twenty people have disappeared.   
Police have no idea how or who had planned this, but with each   
case the suspicions mount. It is reported that a young woman,   
said to be in her mid-twenties with curly black hair and blue eyes   
would walk into homes and offices, each time taking a victim with   
her before she disappears. She apparently always appears in a   
black suit and black boots, with a height of 5'7". The purpose of   
her mission is never known and her targets seem random. None of   
the authorities know why she has taken the people that have been   
abducted. Those who were taken ranged from some of the richest   
people in the world to jailbirds from California! It is only   
known that no force has yet been able to stop her, and her victims   
never can to be found."  
  
"It's as if they disappeared off of the face of the   
planet!" A brown-haired man in a baseball cap said in   
bewilderment.  
  
"Not just that, video cameras have already caught her, yet   
it seems that her image is always blurred. Reports have shown   
that no ransom has been requested nor has there been any contact."  
  
"We just want our baby back!" A middle-aged mother said,   
crying through her tears.  
  
"So far, no one is safe nor is there any where safe to go."  
  
"She just appears, and then she's gone! Gone, as if she and   
the boss were no more than ghosts!" A security guard told the   
report with a troubled expression on his face, though he didn't   
seem to mind the attention. "You'd think this woman could pass   
through walls or something!"  
  
"The reports say that this event is not even concentrated in   
one area or location, for police of different states find   
themselves with the same problems and in similar situations in   
less than a month's time! It is the worst kidnapping series our   
country has ever faced, but there doesn't seem to be anything   
anyone can do. The best advice the Police Department can give is   
to lock your doors, check the backseats of your cars, and make   
sure you are never alone. Let us hope that whatever happens   
tonight, not another person goes missing into the unknown night   
and let us pray for those already gone that they are safe.   
Perhaps someone else will be abducted tonight, but it is our   
sincerest hope that it will not be you or anyone else you know and   
love. Live from us at New York City, back to you Sarah."  
  
  
"Goddamn it!" He swore as he kicked the desk. "Didn't I   
tell you guys to keep this under wraps? Now, we'll have cities   
filled with fear and anticipation!" He kicked the desk again in   
frustration as the men around him cringed ever so slightly under   
his wrath.  
  
"I'm sorry Captain, we'll try to find out who talked to the   
reporters," said Luke, a highly influential agent with a dark and   
smooth baby face. Intelligent brown eyes looked at him calmly   
before he finally sat down in a huff. "Who has time for spy   
hunting? Get some of the lower guys to flush them out, but I'll   
need every available agent to find whatever lead we have left."   
He sighed.  
  
"Hey Captain, you should take a rest. You haven't slept   
well since the fifth victim was found missing and you look like   
you need it!" Luke told him worriedly.  
  
"Luke's right, Dale. You can't wear yourself down like   
this, especially not when you are needed." Said another voice,   
this time distinctively female.  
  
The whole room went silent as all heads turned to see a   
beautiful woman in a black suit, dark tinted sunglasses held in   
one elegant hand as blue eyes looked straight into the Captain's   
who sat in shock at her appearance. "Well, well, well! If it   
isn't the kidnapper herself." The Captain said, quickly   
recovering from his shock.  
  
"John A. Dale, I'm Alyssa Smith; and I have come to collect   
my due." Dale laughed in amazement at her boldness.  
  
"And what makes you think that I'll come with you?" He   
asked her in amazement, wondering exactly how she got in without   
an identification card, and taking note to fire whoever let her   
get into their office so easily. All guns turned onto her as he   
said this and the men surrounded her with wary and surprised   
faces, watching her without knowing what to do now that they had   
captured her. In a way, they had expected that the video cameras   
lied, for this woman did not seem to fit the profile of an evil   
kidnapper driven by madness and greed, nor did she seem the type   
who enjoyed delusions.  
  
"Because I can." She whispered into his surprised ears as   
her slim arms circled his paralyzed body faster than the blink of   
an eye. He never even saw her move!  
  
All eyes turned to him now in surprise, all wariness gone to   
shock to see that the woman had just disappeared only to reappear   
next to Dale's side. Then the captain was gone, and not even one   
man was able to react before they vanished into thin air.  
  
And she would find them and she would not allow them to   
escape the destiny she had in store for them.  
  
  
The ship was silent in its arrival. No one saw it until it   
landed. They shouldn't have been surprised to find another   
illegal immigrant ship on the side of the New York harbor, that   
is, until other states lined against the Eastern Coast reported   
similar findings. What greeted them was not a happy sight. For   
when the lid was uncovered, they found eighty dead bodies.  
  
Eighty dead bodies lining the Eastern Coast of North   
America, plus countless more that did not land in the United   
States. The disease had now moved across the great oceans that   
had once allowed the Americas to be safe from the epidemics of   
their Eastern counterparts. The epidemic Kalic feared had now   
spread on a global scale. It would only be a matter of time   
before the whole world went mad with fear and suspicion. The   
first phase of the unknown disease had spread and now it had sown   
its seeds to the world around it.  
  
Still, Core slept in his hidden room, trying to discover the   
cure and recruiting as many of the brilliant scientists and students   
that he had watched over the last thirty years as he   
possibly could find. But some of the people he needed were   
disappearing mysteriously and without a trace, and he found   
himself against a competitor he had never encountered before. Not   
only that, a few of his networks of researchers has reported that   
the epidemic had already appeared in Japan and North America. The   
two top industrial cities were infected, and it wouldn't surprise   
him if Germany had already had it spread amongst their people as   
well. His search was more urgent now, especially with the urging   
of Kalic at their second conversation a few days back. The   
disease was spreading at an enormously fast rate, the news of this   
was harder and harder to maintain as a secret   
  
And the world was just beginning to fall to pieces.  
  
  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
  
A tribute to...   
My editor  
His Lordship Chaos,  
Ken Wolfe, &  
Angus MacSpon.  
  
And everyone who had helped & encouraged  
me during my trials and my errors ^-^;;  
  
Thank you for every dream and every  
inspiration...  
  
Thank you for everything.  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
  
  



	2. The Second Sheep Named Envy

A Note to the Readers: All contents in this story is under an   
artistic license. Fact and fiction will be clomped together into one   
huge blob. In other words, don't bother me about debating whether   
some conversations in this fanfic is truly based on fact... as Naoko   
Takeuchi has done many times. Truth, after all, is an elusive thing!   
^-~. Enjoy!  
  
When All the Good Angels Sleep  
******************************  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
"No te engano la primavera"Did spring never deceive you  
con besos que no florecieron?"with kisses that didn't blossom?"  
  
--Pablo Neruda  
("The Book Of Questions")  
  
  
"And I looked, and behold a pale horse:   
and his name that sat on him was Death."  
  
--Bible: New Testament  
(Revelation 6:8)   
  
  
The Second Sheep Named Envy  
---------------------------  
  
"It should be noted that when he seizes a state the new   
ruler ought to determine all the injuries that he will   
need to inflict. He should inflict them once and for all,   
and not have to renew them every day."  
--Niccolo Machiavelli  
("The Prince")  
  
"I'm jealous of her;  
Of him;  
Of everything!  
Of the great gigantic ocean so calm,  
Yet, how powerful and hungry it can rage!  
Of the moon that's hanging off the shore  
So small and yet so bright against the night!  
Of the music in the halls that I can't grasp  
Only to absorb so much and then forget too soon  
And lose that feeling of peace and passion  
Combined in one,  
Like a dream lost to the morning hours  
At first sight and first thought of a new day."  
("Sin: II")  
  
"I have discovered that to make a better future,  
you must first create a worthy opponent to make  
you fit for such a future. Thus, the harder it  
is to get to the end, the more you will grow.  
And the more you grow, the more fit you are to  
take whatever the reward that awaits you at the  
end of your journey. It is because of this that  
I had created the obstacles to prepare you and the  
Senshi for the future of Crystal Tokyo. For no  
matter what the treasure there is always a test.  
Why, you may wonder, would I do such a thing as  
this? Even you, my ever-forgiving Queen, may  
question my motives, and might count this as an  
act of treason or of betrayal. Yet, you cannot  
deny that without the darkness there is no light,  
even if you might think this to be an excuse for  
my actions. That is why I do not consult you on  
the decisions that I must make. Think of me as  
cold, as unfeeling, but I am like any mother,  
sending her child to war, knowing the consequences,  
but unlike them, I also behold a hope that I have  
clung to for longer than you can imagine or perceive.  
So judge me if you must, but perhaps, one day, you  
will see, that without the enemy there is no hope  
and without hope, there is nothing."  
  
--Sailor Senshi Pluto  
("Letters to the Queen")  
  
  
"Are you sure you're feeling better Mako-chan?" Usagi asked   
for the second time that day.  
  
"Umm," Makoto nodded impatiently. "Usagi-chan, it was only a   
scratch!"  
  
The odango-blonde sighed in relief and settled back into her   
chair again. The weekend had been hell, twice Makoto slipped back to   
her feverish state only to recover with a sleep so deep that Ami told   
them, if her brain waves where any lower Jupiter would have been   
diagnosed as being in a coma! Of course, Makoto believed none of   
that, though she was a bit worried about it herself. After all, she   
had never felt better! Well, not in a long time, anyway.  
  
"It's only the effect of your body having been so weak for so   
long." Ami had explained to her earlier when she puzzled over why   
everyone still fussed over her so much, but she wouldn't buy 'that'   
excuse. One just didn't question how one felt, especially if it was   
such an exhilarating surge of energy!  
  
Of course, Ami didn't tell her or any of the others that they   
had all been exposed to a new strain of virus never seen before, a   
deadly virus that could kill. Ami hoped that their Senshi immune   
system would fight this thing to death but she couldn't be sure.   
Still, she feared to tell her friends, for Core had warned her of the   
consequences when she had asked him the night she discovered it.  
  
'How did she get it?'  
  
'I don't know, it looked like a flesh wound. Might be from an   
animal or insect bite.'  
  
'Then it is in Tokyo, isn't it?'  
  
'Yes.'  
  
'I'm sorry.'  
  
'No, don't be. You cannot stop something like this from   
crossing borders or even oceans now. We can thank all that to   
technology!'  
  
'I'm sorry.'  
  
'Why? I told you--'  
  
'I'm sorry that you will be one of the first to die.'  
  
She had paused in horror, but than slowly her fingers took her   
mind to her notes as she reviewed them methodically, trying to rid   
herself of the terrifying freeze that had settled into her limbs.   
She knew now that Core did not have the answer to her questions   
anymore. That, whether she wanted it or not, she had to stop her   
communications with him.  
  
A senshi is the host.  
  
The princess has been infected.  
  
There were no more choices to be made.  
  
***  
  
"Hello?"  
  
...  
  
"Yes, I wish to speak with Doctor Chiba Mamoru."  
  
...  
  
"Mizuno Ami."  
  
...  
  
"Thank you."  
  
...  
  
"Mamoru-kun?"  
  
...  
  
"I need to see you today, something interesting came up."  
  
...  
  
"No, no, it's not Senshi business. At least, it hasn't come to   
that point yet."  
  
...  
  
"No, I haven't told the others."  
  
...  
  
"It's a little more important than an extracurricular activity   
Mamoru-kun."  
  
...  
  
"It's alright, you haven't offended me at all... It's just   
that a lot has been happening lately."  
  
...  
  
"Please, don't tell Usagi-chan about this."  
  
...  
  
"I just don't want her to worry yet..."  
  
...  
  
"No! It's not something horrible!"  
  
...  
  
"It's just that... I can't tell you this over the phone, I'll   
have to show you."  
  
...  
  
"I'm sorry Mamoru-kun, it's just not safe."  
  
...  
  
"Yes, lunch tomorrow would be fine."  
  
...  
  
"Yes, I'll come and meet you there. I won't keep you waiting."  
  
...  
  
"Alright, bai bai."  
  
...  
  
She sighed when she put down the phone and rested her forehead   
to her palm. "How will I explain this to Mamoru-kun?" She asked   
herself tiredly, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Papers scattered across   
her desktop, unusually cluttered for her, especially since she valued   
neatness but these days had been hectic, more than she was ready to   
admit. She glanced at her watch and winced, she only had six hours   
left before her next shift at Makoto's apartment. Straightening, she   
walked over to her bed, deciding that at least a few more hours of   
sleep will help out her tired brain. But before her eyes closed or   
her head even hit her pillow the same question arose, upsetting her   
sleepy but worried mind. How could she explain to Mamoru that   
something big was happening, something dangerous, and this time the   
senshi just might not be able to save Tokyo from the dark times to   
come? Yet, she could not keep sleep at bay, and she drifted into a   
restless dream before she could even decipher a plan for the next   
day.  
  
***  
  
"Rei-chan, I didn't expect this!" She heard his voice on the   
other line as she leaned against her the wooden door of her shoji.   
She had been cradling the phone to her ear when the sadness crept   
into her eyes at the voice on the other line.  
  
The others had sent her home knowing that her school was not so   
lenient, and she could not complain, though a little angry that she   
now had to wait till the end of each day to check on all four of the   
others. So, unable to decipher the course of action and having lived   
with instinct for most of her life, she called him. Something she   
hadn't done since she had met the senshi, since her princess. She   
never liked telephones much anyway. They were so awkward, excluding   
physical contact with the person on the other line. She couldn't   
complain though, for otherwise, she would never have been able to   
talk to him. Yet, there was more to this than she was willing to   
admit, especially to him. Something in Ami's eyes had changed when   
she announced that dinner was ready the night before, something had   
changed the situation and made it worse. What, Rei was yet unsure,   
but she was determined to find out.  
  
A slight smile hovered on her lips as a soft blush colored her   
cheeks even as those very thoughts sped through her mind. Did he   
always have this affect on her? At least, as long as she could   
remember, "Really Hiketsu-san? I thought your specialty was in   
fortune telling." She retorted good naturedly as one hand flipped   
back the stray strands that rested on her shoulders, trying to ignore   
the slight heartache at the memories long buried now that she thought   
of the past.  
  
"Ara, ara Rei-chan! Perhaps, I had a little premonition that   
you were going to call today." He answered lightly, though she was   
unable to see his reaction to her words. Telephones! She thought   
with exasperation.  
  
"Just a little?" She laughed off the question, and he joined   
her. A short pause followed this little pleasantry though she knew   
she could not delay asking the question that had forced her to call   
him after so many years of silence. "Hiketsu-san, I--"  
  
"Please, Rei-chan. I may not have seen you for at least ten   
years and we may be strangers now, but we have been through enough   
together for you to treat my name with a little less formality." He   
answered lightly, though she could almost hear his frown over the   
phone. What surprised her was that the Hiketsu she once knew had   
changed as well. Just from his tone of voice she could tell that he   
was no longer the prideful friend who once had been like an older   
brother to her before her mother had died. There was a weariness   
that inhabited their light-hearted banter that could not be missed,   
and she could not forget with whom she was now speaking to.  
  
"Hiketsu-san...Hiketsu, I'm sorry if I offended you." She   
finally said, correcting her earlier error.  
  
"Rei-chan..." she held her breath but what he said surprised   
her more if he had scolded her again, "You are not still mad at me   
for--"  
  
"No." She quickly cut in, not wanting him to continue. She   
could hear him sigh in relief on the other line and another small   
smile emerged on her lips and she felt herself honestly meaning the   
words that she had spoken. "I understand why you did what you did   
better now Hiketsu, even though I did..." she paused before forcing   
herself to admit what she had been trying to forget for many years   
now, "love him." The truth needed to be said and she knew that it   
was time to admit what she had thought she was over long ago. "But   
Kaidou-san and I were just not meant to be." She did not cry but in   
admitting her loss she felt like Kaidou had left her all over again.   
She did not complain for she knew that all the sadness, hurt and   
tears would never make things the way she had hoped them to be. It   
was not her place to deny what fate had already planned. It was her   
duty to protect what she had sworn too, the princess was the center   
of her life now and she must at least begin the process of moving on.  
  
"Rei-chan?"  
  
"Yes, Hiketsu?" She asked. Snapping out of her revery just in   
time to hear the unspoken question in his voice.  
  
"Why did you decide to call me now?" he asked after a long   
pause. Having a strange premonition that he was about to say   
something else, yet without any proof, she resigned herself to ponder   
over the slight catch in the other's voice later.  
  
"Something came up..." she paused, choosing her words   
carefully. "Perhaps, it is best that I meet you in person." She   
finally said as she pondered out the situation.  
  
"What's wrong Rei-chan? You sound... shaken up by something."  
  
"I hope we can meet as soon as possible." She replied without   
answering his question.  
  
Sighing in defeat, "Fine, I'll be going into Tokyo on the   
twentieth for a business trip and I'm sure I'll be able to meet you   
sometime then," he said, looking at his schedule as he jotted down   
the dates of departure.  
  
"Good, I'll meet you at the airport. When will you be   
arriving?" she asked.  
  
Smiling at her tone of voice, he told her to hold on for a   
moment as he quickly accessed the Tokyo Airport on his computer,   
requesting flight time and adding his name to the list of departures.   
"I'll be there around noon next Friday, Rei-chan. It will be nice to   
see you again after all these years."  
  
There was something sad in her voice when she answered,   
"Everything has changed," she agreed. "I have to go back to my   
chores Hiketsu, I'll be there to pick you up."  
  
"Thank you," he replied, showing no sign of discomfort or   
surprise at her quick change of subject. Her mouth twitched in   
amusement though she was glad that he could not see her smile.  
  
"I should be thanking you Hiketsu," she replied in an equally   
calm voice. "I'll see you soon."  
  
"Goodbye."  
  
"Goodbye." She pressed the off-button on her phone and leaned   
back against the wall, looking up to the ceiling. Sighing, she mused   
over what she had done. But she could not find in her heart to say   
that she would not have done it otherwise had she been given a second   
chance, but still she felt the guilt weighing on her shoulders.   
Shaking her head she rose from the floor and walked out into the   
hall, placing the phone back on the living room stand. Pausing only   
at the scene before her as she went to get her broom. The opened   
screen door gave an unobstructed view of the cherry blossom trees   
outside as they bloomed in their soft pink innocence. Slowly, she   
walked around the grounds and touched her hand onto one old trunk,   
watching the ripe petals fall to the flittering wind that sent them   
gently to the ground. Her dark hair drifted in the breeze as she   
pulled back the strands, her eyes darkening with all the memories   
this garden held, before glancing to the sky. "Gomen ne."  
  
The breeze might have whispered a reply but, when the fleeting   
petals settled, she was gone. The paper door closed firmly to the   
gentle breeze, even if the scent of the cherry blossoms still   
lingered and seeped into the rooms.  
  
***  
  
They did not notice him at first when the new National Party of   
Japan first came into play in the political field. He seemed an   
underling. Weak, disfigured, doomed to always be in the shadows of   
those more popular and strong. Even those of his party did not   
notice him. Did not see him to be the one controlling all of them.   
He never complained of this and in a way he would've been content to   
play in the background, the one doing all the work, the one with the   
real power. In a way, he might even never have become so powerful so   
soon and so publicly as he had, but fate had other things in store   
for him, other things for him to accomplish than the petty politics   
that once were his world.  
  
Fate had wanted him to help build a new era and a new   
beginning. So it gave him an army of radicals ready to die at his   
bidding, ones who would easily fall to his rhetoric and his powerful   
mind. It gave him opponents who were inexperienced and even more   
incompetent. It gave him his chance to rise quickly but quietly.   
And it gave him the darkness that he found tucked away in the far   
reaches of political opponents, tucked away in a book, lying on the   
side of his pillow.  
  
He would never know that the person who gave him this would one   
day be a part of the army that would rise against him. He would   
never know that by becoming the man hated by the future, he would be   
the one who made it possible. Even evil has its bad days, and this   
was just the beginning of a string of bad days!  
  
Fujimia Doko was walking down the prominent street a few blocks   
from the Diet Building when he met her. Dark-green hair and red   
eyes, an image hard to forget if you could ever truly remember, but   
he would later only recall the conversation they had shared.   
Apparently, she was a local follower in the new Nationalist Party   
movement. Though, she did not seem like the usual bunch that voted   
for his party, for her heritage seemed more liberal and leaning   
toward the left than the far right.   
  
Her dress was elegant and spoke business, her stance graceful   
and her eyes piercing and intelligent. She invited him to lunch, an   
invitation he could not turn down. Not only because it was offered   
by one of the most beautiful woman he had ever met but also because   
it was to one of the most prominent restaurants he ever heard of!   
Pleasing her could help his political career and so he followed her   
to the classy restaurant. "Excuse me Miss, I don't think I caught   
your name." He said hurriedly as he caught up with her.  
  
Dark eyes met his coolly, yet amused. "My name is irrelevant   
Professor Fujimia Doko, but my purpose is important. Do you know why   
you are here?" She asked.  
  
"No," he answered, after a moment of hesitation. The look in   
her eyes told him that he would get no answers if he asked for her   
name again. "Why am I here, Miss?"  
  
She smiled ever so slightly, a smile that warmed his heart with   
its beauty. Yet the look in her eyes sent chills down his back.   
Those eyes seemed to hold thousands of years. Never had he thought   
he would ever get to see eyes so old and so dark and deep, it made   
him feel very small and insignificant, a feeling that he never   
experienced and was extremely uncomfortable with. "I have a proposal   
for you Professor. There will be an epidemic invading this world,   
killing all living things, plants, animals, and humans. Most of whom   
would be extinct--"  
  
"You can't be serious!" Doko gasped. "If such a thing is out   
there, how can we not know?"  
  
She smiled, though a little annoyed at his interruption. "The   
government does not wish the people to panic, they themselves cannot   
believe it. They cannot shut down the airports just yet because it   
would arouse suspicion and it would cause a national panic, all of   
which are most unpleasant."  
  
"Then the government is weak! It must be stopped! We must   
expel all those that might bring the disease to us, and isolate this   
country from those already exposed!" He said determined.  
  
"How can 'you' do that Professor? You have no real powers, and   
your party is weak. The platform you conduct upon is just as weak   
and everyone knows that Japan can hardly survive a year without   
outside trade. The island will starve to death." The woman told   
him, eyes getting colder, even if they held a little sadness in them   
as she looked at him. Could it be pity that he saw in her eyes? Or   
was it something else?  
  
His pride rose with fury at her description of his beliefs, his   
skills and the party he had been faithfully serving for so long now.   
"I will make it happen! Just you wait and see! I cannot believe you   
would dare criticize the party!"  
  
Amused she sipped the coffee brought to them. "We shall see   
what you will accomplish, Professor." It was her only reply to his   
attacks on her person.  
  
The rest of the luncheon passed in quietude. He enjoyed it   
immensely for a new challenge had been set before him. The two   
parted with polite goodbyes, and by the time he stepped out of the   
restaurant, he had forgotten her unforgettable face, and the question   
of a name that she had never told him. All he remembered was the   
message that she had for him. All he knew was the mission he must   
accomplish for the country that he wished to protect. 'If I can save   
the world, what would it matter that a few would have to die and bow   
down willingly at the feet of the God he served?' His hands closed   
into a fist, startled to feel something in his palms. Looking down   
he saw a ring of a broken angel wing. It seemed to once have been   
part of something greater, something with more meaning to it.   
Startled, he pocketed the gift, not knowing who had given it to him   
and left for the Diet Building. There was much to do and so very   
little time. He never questioned his urgency, all he knew was that   
things must be accomplished before it was too late.  
  
The dark-haired woman watched him leave from the shadows. She   
saw him look at the ring in startled wonder and surprise. Her lips   
curled into a grim smile, eyes narrowing slightly at the thought of   
what was to come. The first phase of the plan had ended, now she   
must find the others.  
  
***  
  
She knelt before the sacred fire, praying to the gods.  
  
One, two, three.  
  
Flicker.  
  
Like a dance. She had long learned its steps. Her eyes were   
closed, hiding her secrets from the fire. For the fire cannot know   
the secrets of its mistress, the fire must not know it. A bead of   
sweat trailed down her cheeks and trailed down to her chin, joining   
those that had already gathered. Drip. Splash. Sizzle. A dance.   
Her body reacted to it as if it were a dance as well.  
  
Her eyes opened. Violating the ancient rules, but she did not   
care about those rules. They could not see what she saw. The images   
came. Darkness eating up the flames. Nameless faces. A strong   
feeling of power and hopelessness mixed into one. Eyes of dark-  
rouge. Guilt. Pain. Was this betrayal? A promise. A hope. A   
journey over a great ocean of troubled waters, and on those shores a   
great battle would be fought. The winner shall lose. The fire   
flickered and she was confused at its indecision.  
  
There were no answers to the questions raging in her heart.   
The fire did not answer this way. It only gave her more images. She   
did not mask her surprise, but she did not lose her concentration   
either. Not even when she saw the King and Queen of a distant future   
appear before her, and disappear, melting into the face of a strange,   
and yet, familiar face. Not until his face appeared. Only he was   
not himself. The eyes were different. They were bluer but they   
seemed so distant, so unlike him. She reached out to the flames to   
feel the skin upon his face. So real. So warm. Her thoughts   
dispersed. The flames snapped at her for closing her soul to its   
warmth. She gasped a scream in pain, pulling her hand away. Her   
hand throbbed and the smell of burnt flesh reached her nostrils. She   
looked at it with disbelief before denial faded and the pain hit her   
with a force that startled her. She screamed.  
  
The world went black.  
  
***  
  
Something woke her from her sleep. Finally she complied to the   
insistent ringing by banging on her alarm clock -- a thing of habit.   
Her eyes widened in surprise when the ringing continued. Groaning   
she reached for the phone. Where was Mamo-chan when you needed him?   
Her grouchy mind demanded. Luna was apparently missing again,   
probably at Central Control with Artemis and doing all that   
research... "Moshi, moshi." she trailed off with another groan.  
  
"Usagi-chan, Rei-chan's in the hospital." A soft voice reached   
her ears.  
  
"Hospital. Rei-chan. Hey Ami-chan." She mumbled, her mind   
not really making sense of what was going on. "Na ni! Rei-chan's in   
the hospital?" She screeched. Jumping out of bed with a start as   
she finally woke up.  
  
Worry clouded her eyes as she tried to think of a reason why   
Rei would be at the hospital, missing the exasperated sigh from the   
other end of the phone. "Come quickly Usagi-chan, I'll inform you   
what happened once you get here."  
  
"I'll be there as soon as I can!" Usagi agreed, silently   
cursing herself for wasting more time. The phone went dead as she   
scrambled out of bed and rampaged through the house, thanking   
whatever gods there were that her lateness for school had given her   
some speed when it came to rushing things. She couldn't find Mamoru   
so she wrote him a note and left it on the hallway table, knowing   
that he'd see it when he stepped into the apartment. She raced down   
the stairs and ran for the bus stop, knowing that the ride to the   
hospital would be a long one but she had no other way of getting   
there. 'Please, let Rei-chan be alright!' She prayed softly in her   
head.  
  
The time sped by slowly as she neared the hospital. Something   
bothered her, a feeling of darkness. What was I dreaming of when Ami   
woke me this morning? She could not remember and in a way, that   
scared her though she did not know why.  
  
She jumped down from the steps of the bus and raced through the   
parking lot, racing to the door before slamming through it to the   
counter. "I'm here to see Hino Rei." She told the nurse, her voice   
shaky as her hands trembled with anticipation. She was gasping but   
that was okay, she was used to this.  
  
"Are you a member of her family?" The nurse asked politely.  
  
"Umm...no," Usagi stumbled. "I'm a friend." She told the   
woman who looked at her sternly.  
  
"I'm sorry, we only allow families to visit." Usagi frowned at   
this.  
  
"Oh, are you sure you can't squeeze on person in? She's a very   
close friend!" Usagi insisted. This was wasting time! What if Rei-  
chan died when she was out here? What if the other was attacked by a   
youma? What if--  
  
"No. Only members of the family.  
  
Squanching her face and preparing to wail at the injustice of   
it all, she paused. Suddenly, an idea! She quickly ran out of the   
hospital and to the edge of the building. Making sure no one was   
looking she pulled out her Luna pen and held it over her head.   
"Change me into a nurse!" She commanded and in a flash she was into   
the hospital again, passing the annoying nurse at the counter.   
"Hey!" She called to a startled doctor. "I'm supposed to be   
attending a patient called Hino Rei, but it seems that I forgot her   
room number." She spoke with a faint blush of embarrassment, because   
she really didn't like to lie, though it was perceived to be for a   
different reason. After all, desperate action always helps a person   
out! Or was it something else? Minako was confusing her own well   
known quotes, Usagi frowned. And as she waited here, what if Rei got   
stuck in a coma? What if her bed tried to squish her and turned into   
a youma? What if--  
  
"Well, I'll go ask the nurse at the counter." Reluctantly she   
followed, though she did try to protest at first before realizing   
that it would've looked suspicious. "Nurse Kiko, do you know the   
room number of Hino Rei?" The doctor asked politely.  
  
"Room 675, Doctor," he smiled and turned back to her, but Usagi   
had already slipped away. "Well, what do you know?" He said to   
himself, his eyes wide with surprise.  
  
"What's the matter, Doctor?" He shook his head.  
  
"Nothing at all Kiko-san, must have been the coffee break I   
missed. I think lack of sleep is beginning to make me hallucinate!"   
The nurse giggled at this artifically and smiled adoringly up at the   
doctor.  
  
Usagi was heading up to floor six of the hospital by this time,   
pacing back and forth in the small compartment with all of her "What   
ifs". Once she stepped off, she found herself in a hallway crammed   
with people. "Shimatta!" She whispered as she tried to figure out   
which way to go. She looked up to see the numbers pointing to the   
left, and headed for that direction. Soon she saw the distraught   
blonde sitting next to a weary blue-haired woman, both briefly   
obscured by the tall, worried brunette who paced in front of them.   
"Min'na!" Usagi called out as she fought her way to them. All three   
looked up startled to see her. "Where's Rei-chan? Is she alright?   
Who did this to her? Was it a youma?" She demanded.  
  
"Usagi-chan?" Ami asked surprised.  
  
"Usagi-chan, why are you dressed like a nurse?" Minako voiced   
the question on everyone's mind. "I hardly recognized you at   
first!" The blonde scolded.  
  
"I'm sorry min'na! I couldn't get in at the front desk, they   
said families only!" Usagi wept.  
  
"You didn't mention that Ami-chan requested you to be here?"   
Makoto asked.  
  
Usagi blinked, "You mean I could've done that to get in?"  
  
Ami sighed at this as the other two women joined her in   
exasperation at their odango-haired leader. "I'm amazed she had   
brains enough to transform to get into here, but not enough to tell   
them that Ami-chan asked her to be here!" Makoto said, throwing her   
hands up in the air in defeat.  
  
Minako giggled at this and Usagi stuck her tongue out at the   
tall brunette, "You're sounding just like Rei-chan!" Then her face   
grew stormy with worry once more. "Really, min'na, is she alright?"  
  
Ami cut in, "She's alive and breathing. Kaa-san checked in on   
her for me and said all signs shows that she is healthy. She burned   
her hand, but it's only a minor burn and will fade with time." Ami   
explained.  
  
"Ne, Ami-chan, do you know when she might awake? Or even what   
happened to Rei-chan?" Usagi questioned as Minako tugged at her   
hankerchief with her teeth in worry.  
  
"Why she's a coma for no apparent reason puzzles Kaa-san and   
the doctors. I'm really not sure, Usagi-chan." Ami sighed tiredly.   
"Her ojii-san found her on the floor before the sacred fire   
unconscious, with her hand red from being burned. I still haven't   
figured out why yet." Ami looked down at the compact computer she   
held before her as she tapped away.  
  
"Did you get to see her though, Ami-chan?" Makoto asked   
concerned.  
  
"Yes, Kaa-san allowed me to get a look in on her. She's very   
pale and still unconscious. I hope we can help her wake somehow now   
that we're all here." Ami's computer beeped, surprising everyone   
except herself. "Let's go see her now." Ami said, all three nodded   
in agreement. "Oh, and Usagi-chan, you might want to change out of   
that nurse outfit when we get some privacy." Ami advised.  
  
Blushing, Usagi nodded her head and uttered a soft, "Um!"  
  
The four girls walked into the hospital room, only to be   
greeted by the rapid breathing from the corner of the room. "H--   
No...don't! Don't--! No!" They rushed to the dark-haired woman   
thrashing on the bed, trying to hold her down.  
  
"Shimatta, what's she doing?" Makoto gasped as she wrestled   
with a leg.  
  
"She's going wild! We have got to hold her still!" Ami told   
them firmly even as she struggled to hold onto the arm of the dark-  
haired girl.  
  
"Easier said than done Ami-chan! I don't think I can't hold   
her much longer," grunted Minako from the opposite side of Makoto.  
  
"Rei-chan! Rei-chan, wake up!" Usagi cried above all of them   
as she reached passed one clawing hand.  
  
Rei stopped moving. "Phew! Usagi-chan, you should've done it   
sooner if it was going to be that easy!" Minako sighed in relief,   
though her eyes did not stray from the dark-haired girl from concern   
for the other.  
  
They shifted back to have a little more breathing space.   
"Who'd have known that Rei-chan had so much in her." Makoto whistled   
as she pushed back a stray strand of auburn hair.  
  
"Whatever happened to her would seem to have been more serious   
than I had previously suspected. Perhaps it has to do with the fire   
reading." Ami speculated, a thoughtful look stealing over her blue   
eyes.  
  
"I'm just glad she is okay." Usagi sighed in exhaustion, blue   
eyes still glancing to her friend in worry as she reached over and   
covered one pale, limp hand.  
  
Before any of them could speak more, Rei sat up abruptly.   
"Lok'h dm'ra sura." Purple eyes turned to Ami, "Kri d'quluka--"  
  
"Rei-chan!" Usagi gasped, taking one step back in surprise   
having removed her hand from the other's. Her mouth was covered in   
shock at the other's seemingly blank eyes. Rei did not turn at the   
call of her name, instead, she fell back onto her bed and was once   
more in a deep, coma-like, sleep.  
  
Ami's eyes widened in surprise, "What did she just say?"   
Minako whispered in surprise.  
  
"Daijoubu Ami-chan?" Makoto asked concerned when Ami didn't   
answer Minako's question. Usagi hurriedly tended to the sleeping Rei   
again, alternating between waving her arm around frantically and   
looking at the other's bed to try to make sense what had happened. A   
silence settled into the room, though all the worried eyes did turn   
toward the blue-haired woman momentarily when the other answered.  
  
"I-I don't know what she said, but there was--" Ami's voice   
trembled. She could not erase the burning accusation in those onyx   
eyes.  
  
"Ami-chan! What happened?" Usagi clutched at Rei's bedding,   
"Can't your computer check on her?" Usagi demanded.  
  
Surprised, all three senshi turned to the odango-blonde.   
"That's it!" Minako exclaimed in excitment. "Ami-chan, you're   
computer can find out what she said."  
  
"Brilliant Minako-chan," Makoto rolled her eyes sarcastically.   
"Whatever gave you 'that' idea?"  
  
The blonde frowned annoyed at the brunette, but Ami was already   
typing at her computer. "Usagi-chan, you're right!" Ami nodded in   
confirmation as she pushed back a strand of blue-hair. Ami typed   
upon the computer quickly, silently thankful that she had been   
scanning Rei when this happened. The computer beeped a reply as the   
ancient text scrolled down. Ami gasped.  
  
"Na ni? Na ni? What is it Ami-chan?" Minako asked eagerly.   
The blonde did not notice the paleness that suddenly invaded the   
cheeks of the blue-haired woman.  
  
"The betrayer is here. The core knows--" Ami read as she   
looked over the screen carefully. She did not tell them the   
secondary translation of the statement given by Rei. Those last   
words that had a double meaning, the words that Rei had spoken to her   
before the dark-haired woman collapsed. But her computer did not   
forget, her screen flashed the words at her. 'You know the core--'  
  
"Core? The core of what?" Minako asked surprised.  
  
"And what about the betrayer, who did she mean by that?" The   
whole room fell silent at Makoto's question. None of them knew the   
answer to either question.  
  
CORE.  
  
Her mentor and friend for many years on the web of the world,   
connecting her to an intelligence she never saw nor could ever put a   
face to but she liked it that way, it made her more comfortable. She   
had met him somehow in its great vastness, a long time ago. Yet, Rei   
somehow knew her secret advisor, her muse in all the questions she   
had of the world and one of the few who could answer those she found   
in herself to ask. She blinked her eyes slowly. She had never   
feared him, never felt anxious when she thought of him, not until   
those words he had written to her a few days ago, not since her   
silence to him. Now she had been discovered, in such a way. "What   
language did she speak in Ami-chan?" Usagi asked. Another surprise   
of the day, what a marvel at how Usagi is growing, more and more!   
The young blonde was earning their admiration and respect. Mamoru   
must be a very good influence... when he was home, that is. Or,   
perhaps it's the crystal... She was just glad that Usagi didn't   
notice the apprehension in her eyes or the way her hands trembled   
slightly at the realization that she had been discovered.  
  
Her fingers moved without her thinking about it. For still her   
thoughts lingered, lingered on what this discovery might mean. She   
felt ashamed that she so selfishly kept it a secret from her best of   
friends, and even now she regretted, more than anything else, that   
she might lose the companionship of one like CORE. Click, click.   
Another gasp. Was it from her? Her blue eyes narrowed, it can't be.   
Let me recheck! It can't be! Her focus shifted once more to her   
computer when the results finally popped up, rather quickly too.   
"Ami-chan? Daijoubu?" She snapped out of her disbelief and looked   
into the emerald eyes of her auburn-haired friend.  
  
"Na ni?" She didn't realize that there was anything wrong   
except...  
  
"What's wrong Ami-chan? You look like you've seen a ghost!"   
Usagi piped in.  
  
"Un!" Minako agreed as she held the hand of the unconscious   
dark-haired woman.  
  
She faced those stares, almost wishing she could turn away, but   
she forced herself to look on. "The results came up," all their   
attention focused on her at that moment. How she hated this   
attention, even if from those she would trust with her life. "It's   
ancient, very ancient... Only my computer seems to know of it," she   
knew she was stalling and she had a feeling that they did too. The   
atmosphere thickened with curiosity and anticipation. "It's a   
mixture of Martian and Moon Kingdom tongue, I would never have been   
able to decipher it even if I could remember the language of the   
Silver Millennium." She looked away. It was too hard to stare back   
at those shocked faces now looking to her, for what? Guidance? She   
had none, just her mind that didn't work the way she wanted it to,   
especially without the help of Core and she knew that there would be   
no more help from him. "I don't know what to make of this min'na,   
but it seems that something ancient is rising, that or a long   
forgotten lore maybe. Whatever it is, there are only these lines to   
guide us and Rei-chan is down. We're on our own until she awakens   
from her sleep and by the looks of things it won't happen until at   
least tomorrow." She sighed, suddenly very weary of what was to   
come. For a time, she had even fooled herself into believing that   
the Dead Moon Circus was the last, even though in the future they had   
warned them that something bigger was coming, something that they   
never dealt with. Something that would accomplish what even the Dead   
Moon Circus couldn't do. It was good for a time, and now those times   
of peace were falling away, taking her dreams -- those that she had   
established after the nightmarish battles that they had almost lost   
-- with it.  
  
Ami sighed deeply. Whatever was going on, she had better come   
up with a solution quickly. She knew that Core would not be able to   
help her this time; he had his own problems to deal with. Her hand   
typed rapidly over the keys, analyzing the data the way that Core had   
taught her so many years ago. The only other person, who could   
possibly know more than Core, was Setsuna, and she respected both   
greatly. Yet, Setsuna could not help her now, it was a problem that   
she found herself unwilling to tell her dark-haired friend. Why?   
She did not know, but she followed her instincts anyway.  
  
-----  
1992  
-----  
  
'But if such a genetic deformation could occur, how can   
something so twisted come out of genes?' She typed the question   
hesitantly. For the first time in her life she had met someone who   
could understand her, and whose knowledge exceeded her own. She was   
surprised at the very least at this skill and his abilities. "His"   
identity was only known to her as CORE, the only name he gave her and   
the only one he claimed to have. She did not push his privacy   
policy, like he did not push her own, though she did try to look up   
some information up on him, all of which turned to empty leads. Of   
course, she never truly gave up on it, neither pushed on identity,   
though she had been notified that someone had been trying to break   
into her mini-computer many times. What Core had in brains, he   
lacked in technology, at least her technology. What he didn't know   
was that, as much as Ami relied on him, her computer had the   
intelligence of her former self and all of her ancient mothers   
combined. Information and barriers built over several millenniums   
could never be broken without the right key, her touch and her own   
thoughts. It fascinated and amazed her at how quickly her computer   
responded to her, though she still found it more reassuring to type   
down some commands despite the fact that her computer had access to   
her every whim. How? She did not know, but it did.  
  
'It is not a question of genes, but a question of permanent   
mutation because of a reaction to the environment expressed through a   
deformation or modification of the genes itself.' Ami smiled at the   
almost instantaneous response. She had been making similar theories,   
but hers were based more on magic than natural evolution. Still, it   
was impressive to see the speed at which Core worked, even without   
the knowledge that she had gained over the months that she had been   
studying the Dark Kingdom's youma soldiers.  
  
'That is possible, but what could possibly trigger this type of   
reaction?' After studying them for months since she first met Usagi   
and Luna gave her the compact computer at the arrival of Sailor   
Senshi Mars -- Rei -- Ami had been working. Researching on the   
physical and mental structure of a youma, trying to find its   
weakness. But she had found nothing, only dead ends leading to even   
more questions!  
  
'Anything can. A dramatic change in environment has caused   
many changes in the human body and can do so for anything else.   
Deadly diseases, genes blending the wrong way... There are many   
causes and traumatic experiences could also be factors.' Her blue   
eyes became puzzled. Traumatic experiences?  
  
'What do you mean by traumatic experiences and how can it   
effect the origins and combinations of our genes?' She demanded,   
curiosity stimulated at the answer he would give.  
  
'Rape could be a traumatic experience, after all. There are   
only three things that can cause genetic mutation Mercury.' Mercury,   
her screen name. Perhaps he already knew her real name, but whatever   
it was he never acted as if he did. Always, it was Mercury, the God   
of intelligence and wit, her Senshi name. She paused for a moment to   
read the statement over again. Whenever he spoke her name it had   
always made her pause and reread his entry.  
  
'And those are?' Ami had a hard time admitting that she had   
yet to delve into the world of genetics. It had never been an   
interest until now and even though she had already started to pile a   
few books away to read, she was no expert in the field.  
  
'Physical environmental change, which I had mentioned before,   
biological engineering that would actually go and mutate the genes,   
or sex -- well, more like reproduction.' CORE replied.  
  
Ami's eyes bulged slightly at her computer as a blush crept   
across her face. How could she have missed that? The basis of   
genetic mutation of course! 'Oh...I see.' Her hand trembled when   
she typed it down. She wondered if he knew her reaction to his   
words, but he gave no crude remarks and surprised her by going into   
detail on each branch of mutation. He had taught her much during   
that conversation, and many conversations after that one, but no   
matter how Ami thought about it she could now see that if it had not   
been for Core, she would never have become the person that she was   
now.  
  
***  
  
She sighed as her eyes opened to the white light. Huddling in   
the corner of the hospital room had made her body cramped. She   
became aware of the lack of blood flowing to her feet and it made her   
even more unhappy to be awake. Hospitals, I 'hate' hospitals!  
  
Sure, Artemis visited with Luna sometimes. Sneaking in was   
okay whenever they could get them through security with their duffle   
bags, which usually meant whenever they could. Yet, this added   
stress made it almost impossible for her to even see Artemis anymore,   
much less Luna. Those two practically locked themselves into the   
arcade, researching. Whenever there weren't patrons there, or they   
weren't visiting Rei, the two were off, surveying Tokyo and looking   
for signs and omens that might direct them to the darkness. They   
needed a lead and Rei being here was not helping any of it.  
  
Stretching, she groaned at the cranks and aches at her sides   
and arms and legs and... come to think of it, she ached all over.   
She grouchily got up as she headed for the vending machine. "Rei-  
chan better thank me for this later," she muttered as she inserted a   
single silver coin into the machine slot. Her blue eyes searched the   
categorized drinks and pushed the lighted coffee button. The words   
came across the machine and she gave another groan of frustration.   
'Out of order', the machine flashed. "Damn machine!" She grumbled   
as she pushed the return slot.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
Her eyes burned angrily as she reached out and banged her hand   
against the plastic cover, "Give me back my money you stupid thing!"   
She screeched, seemingly not noticing the stares she got from   
doctors, nurses and patients as they paused to watch her battle with   
the vending machine.  
  
"Uh...Miss--?"  
  
Of course she ignored the voice trying to snap her out of her   
mad revenge. "You-Stupid-Thing!" She said, kicking it each time a   
little harder.  
  
"Miss!" She felt her whole body being held back just as the   
machine made a binging noise.  
  
"Hey! What the--?"  
  
The white foam cup dropped and the dark liquid splashed down   
into the cup with a slurping noise. She stopped in her struggle to   
beam at the machine. "Yeah!" She cried happily as she escaped her   
captives slackened hold on her because of her sudden change of mood.  
  
Already forgetting that someone had tried to restrain her   
earlier, she scooped up the coffee cup and walked away from the   
machine before anyone could say anything. Walking casually back to   
the waiting area, she sat down with flourish. "Coffee! Just what I   
needed to wake up!" She said happily. As she brought the cup   
towards her lips, letting the caffeine aroma waken her sluggish   
senses--  
  
"Minako-chan! Did you have to make such a scene?" A chuckling   
voice interrupted her just as her lips were about to touch the rim of   
the cup. Minako jumped in surprise as she swiftly turned her   
indignant gaze to a blond-haired man who had his arms around an aqua   
haired woman, accompanied by a tall dark-haired woman with a young   
teenage girl.  
  
"Haruka! Michiru! Setsuna! Hotaru!" Minako gasped.  
  
The blond man chuckled in amusement at Minako's astonishment as   
several young nurses looked with avid interest his way. "Hai,   
Minako-chan, we are all here." He sat down gracefully next to her   
and wound an arm around her slender form. "So, how's it been?"  
  
She looked at Haruka with a shocked expression on her face,   
"Rei-chan's in the hospital." She dropped the bombshell with a   
solemn voice just as Michiru helped Hotaru into a chair. "Didn't you   
know?" Haruka still had a way of using those blue eyes that were   
unsettling, Minako thought suspiciously.  
  
Aqua eyes shot up in a start as coral lips opened in surprise.   
Minako would've enjoyed the surprise on Michiru's face, though this   
time the fact that Rei was hurt and that was what caused the other's   
expression of distress, killed whatever feeling of triumph she might   
have had. After all this time, Minako never truly understood the   
special bond between Rei and Michiru, something to do with being able   
to see into the future, or at the very least the ability to unravel   
present events. Though Minako herself guarded her jealousy like one   
would guard a mysterious lover, she still had trouble admitting it to   
herself sometimes. After all, Michiru could be very intimidating,   
and in many ways, the aqua-haired woman reminded Minako of Rei. They   
were both so composed and calm -- whom was Minako kidding? Rei was   
never calm, but the dark-haired girl sure was composed, and whenever   
Minako looked at Michiru, she couldn't help but be envious of the   
success and beauty the aqua-haired woman possessed. So what if   
Minako wasn't perfect like that? Did it matter if Minako hadn't yet   
become a star when Michiru had already been one most of her life?   
Admired and loved, was all that Minako had ever wanted in her life   
but never had, and before her was the one person she wanted to be.  
  
Kaiou Michiru.   
  
Perfect.   
  
Beautiful.   
  
Successful.  
  
A star.  
  
Minako sighed silently to herself. Why couldn't she be like   
Michiru? And of course, Michiru just had to add to that list of   
perfection by having Haruka. Though, silently, she found it amusing   
that all the nurses were gawking at the blonde who was really a woman   
but acted no different from any man she knew. What difference did it   
make? Michiru had it all! The perfect career, the perfect test   
scores, the perfect reputation, and the perfect lover. And Minako   
being left in the dust. She couldn't help but be jealous once in a   
while that Michiru seemed to have a special bond with her Rei-chan,   
especially when Minako couldn't compete with such a woman on any   
level. Though, Minako would never dare tell Rei of her jealousy, how   
could she? Rei-chan would just laugh at her for being silly, just   
like that time when she disguised herself as one of the students   
attending Rei's school and got the two of them into loads of trouble.   
But how could Minako help herself for being a little jealous? It was   
her nature after all! For what is Love without Jealousy?  
  
"Is she alright?" All Minako saw was the perfect coral lips   
move, though nothing reached her ears as she stared into those aqua   
eyes. Whatever she was searching for, she didn't find it because   
that was the moment Haruka broke her gaze by setting a firm hand on   
her shoulders and breaking the silence in her mind.  
  
"Daijoubu-yo Minako? You look a little pale." Haruka said   
with soft concern. Blue met blue as Minako hurriedly dragged her   
gaze from Michiru's deep ocean eyes.  
  
"Hmm?" Minako asked as if in a dream, but the look in Harkua's   
eyes dragged her out of her thoughts and snapped her into focus.   
Trying to cover her earlier distraction, Minako giggled like she   
usually did and waved off the worried look of the blonde beside her.   
"Daijoubu, daijoubu-yo Haruka!" Minako said with another burst of   
giggles.  
  
"Must be the hospital, you're not getting enough sleep."   
Haruka stated as she leaned back onto the couch, assured that Minako   
was back to her normal self.  
  
Minako thanked silently whatever god gave her the ability to   
act while she contemplated what to do with the situation now that it   
was settled. "No Haruka-papa, it's the coffee. You know what that   
can do to a person." Hotaru made a face that immediately lifted   
whatever leftover tension there was. Of course, none of them   
mentioned the reasons behind how Hotaru came to know the hospital so   
well, and Minako was glad that at least one outer senshi had the same   
view about hospitals as herself.  
  
She looked over to Hotaru and only as her eyes traveled toward   
the dark-haired girl, did her blue eyes meet those eerie rouge-eyes   
of the Guardian of Time, or in civilian form, known as Meiou Setsuna.   
That woman, though beautiful, had a way of making herself practically   
invisible! A trait that Minako found slightly disturbing and as hard   
as she tried, for all Minako's cheerful countenance, she didn't trust   
the oldest of the Sailor Senshi.  
  
Those eyes studied her in return, a bittersweet smile spreading   
across those rouge lips as if she knew exactly what Minako had   
thought. She shivered slightly under that gaze, knowing that Setsuna   
might very well have read her mind, for none of them knew Setsuna too   
well to say what powers she might have discovered at her age and   
experience. After all, she was the only senshi who predated back to   
the Silver Millennium, now, that's very old!  
  
Good one Minako, state the obvious why don't you? Her cynical   
mind jibbed at her. Not in the mood to quarrel with herself and   
still somewhat tired from lack of sleep, she promptly told that part   
of her brain to shut up and keep the status-quo until she could think   
of something else to say. "Did you know this would happen Setsuna?"  
  
Oh, great one there, Minako! Her mind quipped again, and   
Minako blushed when she realized exactly what she said to the older   
woman. Setsuna's smile changed to amusement as Minako mentally   
clunked herself on the head for being such a loud-mouthed idiot!   
Even Usagi had more sense than she did at moments like this! If only   
Minako had acquired some social graces then she wouldn't have made   
herself such a big baka as Rei would reminded her whenever she did   
things like this. "Not really Minako. I don't have a crystal ball   
to tell me what the future is like." Setsuna replied back with a   
voice that was devoid of all emotions.  
  
At this, Minako blushed harder. Of course she didn't think   
that Setsuna had a crystal ball... okay, so maybe at first she did   
and once in awhile when she was angry... okay, so she had assumed   
that the Time Guardian had somewhat of a clearer view than Rei's fire   
or Michiru's mirror would show, but apparently, the time can be just   
as vague if not more so. "Gomen." Minako mumbled.  
  
Haruka having sensed the discomfort in the blonde leader beside   
her, grinned and tried to lighten the somber mood by changing the   
subject to things that could be shifted away from personal conflicts   
that she knew neither side was yet ready to face. "So, I'm assuming   
Rei-chan's getting better. I'm sure she'll appreciate you waiting up   
for her, and we promise to visit!" Haruka said with a soft smile as   
she was starting to rise, having caught something near the hallway.   
Minako looked up and saw a doctor walking toward them, someone she   
had thought looked slightly familiar. Now that she thought about it,   
she was sure there was something she felt slightly out of place when   
the Outers showed up. "We'll bring flowers for Rei-chan tomorrow   
when we visit if she's still here." Haruka called out over her   
shoulder as she waited for the others to stand and walk out of the   
waiting area.  
  
Minako's eyes widened slightly, as the thought she had been   
forgetting finally came back to her. Her lips opened just as Haruka   
turned to give her a friendly wave goodbye, but the look in Minako's   
eyes stopped the tall sandy-blonde. The two stared each other down   
as Minako rose from her seat and the blanket fell away, "Haruka," the   
other tensed at her name. Not exactly because of Minako's way of   
saying it, but the look Minako gave her. Those blue eyes bored into   
the lighter blue, as Minako's long forgotten spirit of leadership   
rose around her like a shroud of legitimacy and intimidation. "What   
are you doing here if you aren't here to visit Rei-chan?"  
  
The others who were walking out paused and glanced back, at   
first to wait for Haruka, and now they turned, eyes all narrowing at   
the blonde before them. The only inner senshi that stood in their   
way this time. Haruka's blue eyes narrowed, "It's nothing important,   
why do you ask?"  
  
Minako did not back down as she returned those hostile glances   
turned her way, and for once she knew that she had every right to   
know the answer she had yet to discover. 'Minako-chan, you are our   
rightful leader and thus we shall follow you as ardently as we shall   
follow Serenity when she rises to the throne. After all, it will be   
you who leads us to battle, and I know that because your goals will   
always have Serenity above all else, that there couldn't be any   
objection to your authority.' Rei-chan had told her that the night   
after one of the defeats of the Dead Moon Circus, when Minako had   
been slightly uncertain of her role once more. It was the day when   
Minako had regained her powers as a senshi after losing her previous   
skills to transform. When they had all gotten back to the temple,   
they celebrated that the Inners had finally completed the   
transformation and now could better handle their enemies. Of course,   
Minako had stayed a little later with Rei to apologize for her   
earlier behavior. Rei forgave her and gave her the reassuring words   
that soothed her guilt and made her a little happier now that they   
had conciliated after all the fighting.  
  
"Because Haruka," Minako said softly, her warning no less   
dangerous. "I need to know how much you trust us."  
  
Haruka smiled, her lips revealing pearly white teeth flashing   
just as dangerously under the fluorescent lights. "This matter does   
not concern the Inners, nor shall the events following after this   
meeting." Haruka replied coolly.  
  
"What events?" Minako asked bewildered.  
  
"Events that do not concern you little one." Setsuna spoke.   
Those rouge eyes had an air of confidence and authority that Minako   
could never hope to obtain. That really irked the blonde leader at   
that moment.  
  
"Why must you always treat us as if we are children?" Minako   
demanded, trying desperately to regain her self-control.  
  
Hotaru stepped forward, trying to ward off the words that would   
be said that could change perhaps the course of history. But the   
hands of Michiru tightened around her shoulders and silenced the   
raven-haired girl. "Because you are." Michiru answered.  
  
That was the last straw, but before Minako could retort, they   
had already turned and left her behind. Only Hotaru's sad and   
melancholic face lingered in her mind for a brief second before the   
girl turned and joined her adoptive parents. "Gomen." Hotaru had   
whispered, for there was nothing else she could do or say to asuage   
the distance between the two groups.  
  
Minako collapsed on the couch. She felt as if all the stress   
and worries, combined with a lack of sleep suddenly caught up with   
her. She sighed sadly into her hand as she cradled her throbbing   
head. "So, we are back to where we started, ne, Haruka?" She   
would've cried had it not been that she was too tired to cry, her   
heart felt too broken to hurt. Instead a numbness crept over her as   
she saw before her the bridge that Usagi, their princess, had worked   
so hard to build, burn into nothingness by a few exchanges of words   
and careless moments. Did they plan this? How dare they go back on   
their words of loyalty to their future Queen?  
  
Yet, suddenly Minako realized that the Outers had no   
obligations to her. They had sworn their loyalty to Usagi, not to   
Minako. Drawing her knees up in defeat and sorrow, she stared at the   
white wall before her, wondering what had really happened in the   
course of the time that had passed between her and the Outer Senshi.   
A deep feeling of dread slowly crept across her skin as she realized   
that unless the Outers learned to work with the Inners, with Minako   
as leader, that there would be no union between the two groups. For   
what would happen when Usagi became Queen?  
  
Minako couldn't understand how the Outers could pledge their   
allegiance to Usagi and not to her as well. Her pride had taken a   
beating and she was desperate to talk to Rei, but Rei was sleeping   
safely in her little coma. Minako could talk to no one now, and she   
felt so alone. She gave out a dry sob, but the sound of it only made   
her feel worse. Why? Why Haruka? Michiru? Setsuna? Hotaru? Why   
must you always defy us?  
  
Minako felt her heart thump painfully against her chest and   
knew with certainty that that alliance between Inner and Outer Senshi   
had been broken once more. Her lids fell over the blueness of her   
eyes, shutting out the world just like Rei did, feeling a burning   
sensation at the back of her eyes. Still no tears came. Still the   
pain numbed her. She sat, with her head between her knees on the   
bumpy couch of the hospital waiting room, trying to gasp for breath   
as she grasped at the idea that Inners and Outers were split down the   
middle again. No, that's not all, her mind quipped with a sarcastic   
lilt. Usagi is in the middle now. Usagi is the mediator and the   
prize. Minako felt like dying for never had she thought that she had   
to fight her own comrades in arms to win the favor of their future   
Queen.  
  
This was the position that Makoto found Minako in when the   
brunette came to take over the duty of watching over Rei. By then,   
the blonde had fallen asleep, her hold less tense than it had been   
but a few hours before. And when she woke, she did not inform the   
brunette of what had happened, except to give the other only a half-  
hearted hug before leaving the other puzzled at what had occurred.   
Makoto did not push though and decided to wait it out. After all,   
Minako would tell when she was ready.  
  
Yet, it was Minako who silently vowed to not tell anyone   
anything until Rei had woken at last and could help Minako sort   
through the confusion and hurt at what had happened. When Rei-chan   
wakes, she'll know what to do! Minako assured herself as she left   
the hospital for home, knowing that when she got there Artemis would   
demand some information on how Rei had been and maybe even suspect   
that Minako might have had a very bad day. The blonde sighed,   
agonizing on what to tell Artemis and knowing that she would have to   
go back to acting like her usual cheerful and somewhat ditz self.   
How would she ever earn some respect by acting like that? But Minako   
had a secret to keep and she would keep it as long as she had to, so   
without realizing it, Minako had already made a firm decision to her   
course of action.  
  
Outside the sun shone brightly over the Juuban district, though   
the cheerful blonde did nothing to acknowledge its blinding presence   
and warmth that surrounded and wrapped life around the flowers and   
trees that blossomed under its care. She was too wrapped up in her   
thoughts and feelings to even notice the two people at the cafe she   
had passed while glancing out the window of her bus. Nor did Minako   
notice them get up to search out a more private place to further   
their conversation, for Minako was stuck on exactly how cheerful she   
should act to not arouse the suspicions of her cat and her friends.  
  
***  
  
Ami shifted uncomfortably in her seat for the fifth time since   
she met Mamoru at the cafe. She was even more uncomfortable now that   
she scanned to see how many people had gathered around them when she   
had something much more private to discuss. Mamoru watched her   
discomfort with confused amusement. "Daijoubu Ami-chan?" He asked   
as the waiter placed a coffee before Mamoru and water before Ami.  
  
"Hai!" She replied a bit too quickly as she glanced around   
warily once more. She longed for the safety that the library would   
provide, or the books that would conceal her from all that was   
happening around her, but that was only wishful thinking.  
  
"What did you want me here for?" he asked as he took a sip of   
his coffee, satisfied that it was just the way he liked it.  
  
She shifted again, "I'm not sure if this is such a great place   
to discuss it. Maybe we should take this to your apartment." Mamoru   
frowned at this. Ami had never been this uncomfortable with public   
places, and he certainly had never seen her this paranoid about   
anything, before! Her behavior was starting to slowly unsettle him.   
True, the blue-haired genius got nervous quite easily when attention   
was focused on her, but she usually was never this jittery around   
him.  
  
"Alright," he finally consented as her blue eyes finally   
shifted back to him, almost a bit startled that he spoke. "After I   
finish my coffee, though."  
  
She finally nodded reluctantly as their little lunch rendezvous   
had become unusually silent and tense. Never, in all of Mamoru   
visits with Ami, had he felt so uneasy, nor had he ever seen her so   
distracted. Yet, still he did not persist to hurry and instead tried   
to allow time for him to figure out why she was so absentminded, and   
why she seemed so strangely unfocused. Yes, he was worried. Who   
wouldn't be worried when Mizuno Ami appeared half haggard before him   
during his coffee break and dragged him from the hospital where he   
had been doing his intern-shift. It was totally unconventional and   
if Usagi ever got a wiff of this he'd have a very demanding and   
jealous girlfriend on his hands, something he didn't have time to   
deal with. Apparently, the patient numbers in the hospital increased   
during this time of year with a strange flu...  
  
Could it be the same problem that had put Rei in the hospital?   
The abrupt thought interrupted his earlier ones. But that couldn't   
be! The doctors had reassured him that she was fine and even Mamoru   
himself had gone in to check on her and he could see that she was not   
seriously hurt in anyway except the nasty burn on her hand that would   
heal soon enough. Rei could be the source of the strangeness that   
fell over Ami, though. She might have said something beforehand to   
get the blue-haired genius this riled up...  
  
Yet, that didn't seem right. Ami had assured him that Rei was   
doing well in recovery and that she would probably wake up any day   
now. Anyway, it would be unlikely that it was Rei that Ami had   
communicated with. There was no anxiety when Ami spoke the dark-  
haired girl's name, no it was something else all together and the   
uncertainty of it made him more uneasy. What could possibly have   
caused her to be this nervous and distracted if it had nothing to do   
with the dark-haired senshi? He knew that it couldn't be any of the   
other senshi since Ami had so conveniently left them out of her loop   
of information. Could it be a third party he hadn't considered?   
Maybe it was Setsuna, or one or all of the Outers. That could   
explain a lot of the things happening now. Ami was pretty close with   
Setsuna. But that couldn't be it either, since he hadn't heard her   
so much as mention the Outers since they sat down for lunch. Mamoru   
went over the events of the past week carefully, but could think of   
nothing that would've made her so nervous! Usagi had told him   
earlier that a youma attack had occurred at their school, and that   
had been disturbing. Yet, Usagi had also mentioned that Sailor   
Jupiter had taken it out with one sweep of power. That didn't say   
much about this youma except that Usagi had declared that it was the   
ugliest and most unnatural looking monster she'd ever seen. When   
asked to describe what it looked like, Usagi told him that it was one   
blob of an ugly mess. Typical Usagi answer of course, which did not   
help his active imagination in the least!  
  
Putting down the check, Mamoru ended both an uncomfortable   
lunch and even more uncomfortable silence. "Shall we go?" He   
inclined the invitation to Ami with a nod of his head.  
  
Her eyes brightened slightly and her body seemed to release a   
little of the earlier tension that she had been containing. Nodding,   
with a little too much enthusiasm, they headed for Mamoru's   
apartment. On their way to his building, Mamoru again prompted Ami   
for the reasons that caused her to contact him so urgently, but she   
resisted his efforts firmly. In fact, it was such a bad move on   
Mamoru's part that Ami immediately clammed up and wouldn't speak of   
it. Her earlier tension returned and he was left again to flounder   
in curiosity and dread. His imagination ran riot, trying to come up   
with a conclusion to this problem. "It will be a long day." She had   
finally said, perhaps an attempt to end the stillness that had   
settled between them. Not understanding what she meant and having no   
idea how to answer the remark, he could only nod, saying nothing.   
The silence once again fell between them as they continued to head   
for his apartment building.  
  
Mamoru had never been so relieved and tense at the same time on   
arriving to his apartment than that day. His key was inserted into   
the lock and finally his door opened, at least to him it was a   
relief, especially with Ami shifting impatiently behind him. The   
blue-haired girl rushed into his neat home in a flurry, scattering   
her shoes at the doorway in an unusually untidy manner, so unlike   
Ami's usual calm neatness. "Ami-chan... daijoubu-yo?" He asked   
again.  
  
The other gave a nervous laugh in answer to his question that   
only set his stomach churning at the possibilities that laugh could   
imply. He sighed as he slipped his feet from his shoes and settled   
them into the comfortable slippers that were made readily available   
at the door. Wondering what Usagi was doing at the moment, the   
memory of her enthusiastic smile set his mind to a more sedate pace   
as he strolled into the living room where Ami had already settled   
herself onto his black sofa and was typing rapidly at her computer.   
The mood suddenly shifted to seriousness and the change surprised him   
if not relieved him a little of the nervous tension that he had left   
at the doorway of his abode. "Now will you tell me what's been going   
on?" Ami's hand tightened convulsively around her computer, a small   
gesture that didn't really go unnoticed as she forced herself to   
relax. Her tensed shoulders that were hunched and her glasses,   
already perched on her nose, gave off a menacing glimmer as she   
looked up at him.  
  
"Mamoru-san," she said softly. His mouth went dry, when did   
Ami started to call him 'Mamoru-san' again? She hadn't used that   
formal a tone on him since he helped with her physics papers a few   
years back. Since then, he almost felt like Ami's big brother once   
in a while, giving him a kind of cozy family feeling whenever he was   
with her. After all, they were very alike. They both preferred   
books to company -- at least when Usagi wasn't around -- and they   
were both quiet people who didn't like to nose around in other   
people's business. It made association between them easier in that   
they could sit for hours in silence without ever talking to each   
other. It was like... family. He thought with certainty that this   
comfortable feeling he had with Ami would never change, until now   
that is.  
  
Sure, Usagi had been jealous when she heard that Mamoru and Ami   
would be spending another study night together, but it wasn't like   
the two were in love! After all, it wasn't likely that they would   
ever feel more than friendship between them. As Mamoru once tried to   
explain to Usagi when she demanded why he was spending so much time   
with Ami, 'We're too alike to fall in love, Usako!' Of course,   
Usagi, with all her romantic ideals and still childish confidence was   
unconvinced. She stopped complaining though, knowing that she   
couldn't get far with this, and she felt slightly guilty that she   
would suspect Ami to do something so... treacherous! What would he   
ever do without his Usako? Mamoru thought as he sat down beside Ami.   
What other little bunny in the world had a heart as big as the Earth   
and still have so much doubt about herself? So what if it took him   
longer than he had suspected to realize exactly how much he loved   
her? He was intrigued all along and when he found out about his true   
destiny, it had been much more pleasant than he thought could be   
possible. It had been hard to put the past behind him, and harder to   
look to the future with any more enthusiasm. Not that it meant he   
had given up on it, he was too determined for that, it was just   
that...  
  
Ami's hands were trembling and not knowing what exactly to do   
to settle her down, he reached over and put a hand on her shoulder.   
The silence should end here. "Daijoubu-yo Ami-chan?" he asked   
softly. He felt somewhat responsible for her being in such a state,   
though not exactly sure why he felt that way.  
  
Blue eyes searched his, startling him with the fear he saw   
behind them. "Gomen nasai Mamoru-san, I have failed you and Usagi-  
chan, both." She looked away and rose abruptly, walking over to the   
sliding doors of his balcony, looking out to the city below. He did   
not go after her so he could not see her worried eyes wondering over   
the magnificence of the Tokyo Tower -- studying the spiraling heights   
that towered over the city, watching and guarding, a symbol of honor   
and strength. She, in turn, did not return the curious stare of the   
dark-haired man behind her, though she acknowledged his presence, her   
stillness seemed to say otherwise.  
  
It was a while before she finally spoke and told him the   
horrors that she had been studying since Makoto's injury by the   
youma. Told him the worst that could happen and explained to him the   
small percentage of chance to save them, but always there was a price   
that had to be paid. "It wasn't such a bad day, and it wasn't even   
too unusual, not really. Mako-chan was late for lunch, but I guess I   
had expected that after she explained to me earlier that she was   
staying after class to check on her last batch of cookies, which she   
made for one of her classes. It would be good, since we all know   
that Mako-chan tend to overcook, and I guess we're all so happy to   
see Usagi-chan's delight at those little things that Mako-chan does   
for her." Ami paused in her tale, remembering the bright sun and her   
princess's perpetual questions. "Minako-chan came to join us,   
surprisingly on time that day, I guess I should've taken 'that' as an   
omen but with Usagi-chan pushing for me to tell her the latest love   
of my life -- or lack of it... You know how she is -- and now, with   
Minako-chan to back her up, I guess I wasn't really paying   
attention." Ami continued to look out the window. "But that's only   
an excuse, what had kept my mind occupied was a message from an old   
friend of mine. Someone I never told anyone about and who had helped   
me over the years with analyzing the enemy."  
  
Mamoru gasped softly at what Ami was revealing to him. Never   
had he done so with anyone except Usako, but then again, he should've   
expected it. Ami had nothing in common with Usagi, and though she   
loved the princess of the moon as much as any of the other senshi,   
Ami was never truly comfortable about telling Usagi things that the   
other might not understand. Though Mamoru understood why, he thought   
that Ami was being a little too insecure about the friendship between   
her and his odango-blonde girlfriend. Why couldn't the blue-haired   
genius see that Usagi would never think that Ami was trying to make   
the other look stupid by telling Usagi what was bothering her? But   
he said nothing, grateful at least that Ami trusted him enough to   
come and tell him the secret that none of the other senshi know   
about. It made him feel that he was being included in the little   
circle of friendship that Usagi had created around them and his own   
insecurities began to ebb as her tale unfolded.  
  
"He called himself CORE, a gatherer of things, a philosopher, a   
scientist, and a researcher. We talked between the connections of my   
computer and his wirings. Whatever they were... he spoke so rapidly   
to me that it seems that his thoughts just flowed onto the net.   
Silly of me to describe it like that, I know, after all, technology   
hasn't evolved that way yet. Not that I have any knowledge of. So I   
spoke to him with questions about the structure of evolution to   
understand what could've been a factor of the youma mutation. I   
asked him about power resources to formulate that perhaps we tap into   
mana of our own planets, vast and almost inexhaustible once we learn   
to control it correctly. He taught me so much even when I had never   
directly asked him any of my questions and he had never directly   
answered them." Her blue eyes misted at the thought that now, Mizuno   
Ami, was truly alone, for CORE was gone. She could no longer   
communicate with him, for to him, Ami was as dead as her friends. As   
dead as her country and her planet would be if she didn't come up   
with an answer any time soon!  
  
"You must be wondering what this has to do with anything, but   
it has to do with everything! I'm sure Usagi-chan told you about the   
youma fight we had at our school, but I'm sure that she didn't inform   
you just how sick Mako-chan got afterwards. I know we asked you a   
few questions, but between us, we told no one because I requested   
that no one knew. Usagi-chan probably wasn't sure if you were   
included in our secret so she hesitated and told you enough to no   
longer feel guilty that you knew nothing." Ami didn't see the   
stiffening in Mamoru's spine, nor did she detect the tension in the   
room. Already, she was far too deep in her own thoughts to care   
about just how accurate her remark on what had happened to sense the   
dangers of speaking too truthfully. Mamoru still did not speak or   
interrupt her, though now his mind was filled with questions of what   
made Usagi so secretive to him. "Yes, Mako-chan had received a flesh   
wound from the enemy, and yes she did have a fever, but I had taken   
the necessary precautions and had ordered her to stay in her senshi   
form before she slipped too far for us to reach her. I'm glad of   
that decision now for had it not been for that, she might have   
died." Mamoru's whole attention shifted from his own personal   
turmoil and gasped at what had been said. Died? Makoto? How was   
such a thought conceivable? What had happened out there that he had   
not known of?  
  
"The youma had been too easy to kill, especially since Mako-  
chan could destroy it in one blast! Even the youma we had first   
encountered with the Generals were harder to kill than that! But   
there is a catch, something that I had not expected," Ami took a deep   
breath before saying what she had come to tell Mamoru. "The youma   
was carrying a virus, a new type of virus that can kill the body by   
infection. It could be direct contact or it could be an airborne   
disease that cannot be killed. At least not yet! That is why I cut   
off all contact with CORE, because he knew that it existed before I   
could tell him much, he had told me bluntly that he would expect me   
to die soon." Her body trembled at the emotions and stress that she   
had suppressed in the last few days. "I'm sorry Mamoru-kun," she   
broke. He was too distraught to realize that she returned to calling   
him with familiarity. "By being near us, you might be infected!"  
  
He rose and took a step towards her, perhaps to comfort her, or   
perhaps to comfort himself. "What is the catch?" He finally asked,   
stopping midway when his brain started to function again.  
  
"I have come up with two choices for all of us." Ami stated   
firmly. Her voice no longer quivering, "One, we can do nothing and   
hope that this is not the virus that CORE had discovered in Southern   
Italy. Perhaps it won't affect us with Senshi powers, perhaps it is   
already gone." Ami's voice trailed off as she leaned her head   
against the cool glass door. "But there is a price. For, if it   
doesn't go away, we would have the blood of Tokyo, and perhaps, even   
our country, on our hands for keeping the status quo and not doing   
anything to help."  
  
"Or?" Mamoru asked, having a feeling that this is the choice   
with the most implications.  
  
"Or, we can change into the Sailor Senshi permanently. The   
blood of the Senshi will neutralize the disease we carry now, and we   
will become hosts, but at least it will be blood hosts. Only those   
who share our blood directly will receive it. I have done the tests   
and I know, for I have taken a sample of Mako-chan's blood." She   
turned to him at last, the light of the city outlining her form as   
she stood there, not really looking at him but at the ceiling as she   
leaned against the sliding doors leading to his balcony. "I have   
tested all of our blood as well. We have all caught the virus, thus   
it must be air borne." Mamoru's breath caught. "I don't know how   
many people may already be infected by it, but if it helps just a few   
for us to be Senshi..." Ami looked to him now, her eyes pleading and   
sad. "I don't want their blood on my hands, and I have no one to   
turn to now!" He could see that she was desperate, for something,   
not just to share her story, to give him the warning, but also, there   
was already guilt in her heart.  
  
"Ami-chan," he whispered and gathered her into his arms. This   
little girl had come so far on her own, and Mamoru felt sorry that   
although he had felt like her big brother for the last couple of   
years, he hadn't acted in any way to try to help her in the problems   
she had to face. How lonely you must have been, Ami-chan. But he   
knew that she did not want pity, none of the senshi was like that and   
Ami was no exception.  
  
"I'm sorry Mamoru-kun, but if we come out, how many people will   
be hurt? How many would try to use us for political gain? How many   
will only laugh and say we are nothing more than little girls playing   
heroines? There would be much hurt and emotional strain if we come   
out now! Perhaps none of us are ready! Not yet." She whispered,   
but pulling out of his embrace she looked away. "Yet, we're supposed   
to be heroes, ne? Sacrifices and all."  
  
"Ami-chan, you realize that this is now senshi business, though   
I know you had hoped it wouldn't be. You 'need' to tell the   
others!" He stressed, though he could tell that she had already come   
to that conclusion long before.  
  
"Yes. I do don't I? I need to, but I also needed to know that   
I have a friend when I go and tell the others." She said at last,   
laughing a little hysterically. "What am I talking about Mamoru-kun?   
They are my friends! They always have been." Her voice softened and   
she shied her face away again. "I wonder how Usagi-chan will take to   
this brush with death."  
  
"She'd just be glad that none of us has died yet." Ami nodded,   
they both knew that it was exactly what Usagi would think. Never   
worrying about her own health the way she did for others. Such vigor   
and love for strangers and friends alike.  
  
Ami was wrong. She should've trusted them sooner. "Yes.   
Thank you Mamoru-kun."  
  
"No, Ami-chan. You have given so much already to us that we   
should thank 'you'. We should call a senshi meeting, this decision   
is the biggest one we had yet, but we have all known that the day was   
coming. After all, we're the rulers in Crystal Tokyo! It's no   
surprise it has started now." Mamoru said, trying to cheer Ami up.  
  
She smiled at him, knowing his intent, "Domo arigato Mamoru-  
san," she bowed. Ami, never lacking the manners of a humble student,   
made Mamoru blush at the honor she had placed upon him. But before   
he could protest, she looked up at him with a smile that eased him.   
"I thank you for your help." He returned the smile, but did not miss   
the uncertainty that still shone in her eyes.  
  
"Ami-chan," he said softly.  
  
"Hai?" Her eyes widening slightly at what she had given away.  
  
"They'll say yes, you know that." She smiled, and this time it   
was more relaxed. Always, Mamoru would remember that day, for it was   
then he learned that the brilliant Ami had more doubts than anyone,   
and though she may know the answers, she needed others to reassure   
her that the path she had chosen was correct. Slightly proud with   
the knowledge that exactly this trait will make her a concerned and   
wonderful doctor, Mamoru headed for the kitchen to prepare for   
Usagi's arrival. She would be hungry, as Usagi always was. And with   
Minako in tow, it would be two great appetites to satisfy. He was   
just glad that at least this time he had enough of a warning to not   
have his kitchen sacked like the last time his Usako visited.   
Putting the kettle on the stove and reaching for the teacups, he   
heard Ami on the communicator, asking others to come to the meeting.   
As he reached for the extra cookies that he had bought in case of a   
surprise visit from Usagi, he found himself anticipating with a   
certain dread the revelation of their secret identity.  
  
Ami was right. This was going to be a long day. There were   
still many questions still unanswered. Like, who was this Core? And   
how did he know so much about this virus? Yet, Mamoru allowed the   
questions to settle, for he had a feeling that Ami was still holding   
something back. It will come, he knew, the whole truth will be   
revealed sooner or later. So, he waited with patience that he had   
acquired after working years as Tuxedo-Kamen, for the day when Ami   
would allow them into her heart once more.  
  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
WARNING: The poem "Sin: II" is mine. Plagerize  
and you will regret it. Ask for permission, and  
give credit where it's due -- like any good  
author -- and permission shall be granted. Thank  
you!  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
  
A tribute to...   
A. L. a Campo (my editor)  
His Lordship Chaos,  
Ken Wolfe, &  
Angus MacSpon.  
  
And everyone who had helped & encouraged  
me during my trials and my errors ^-^;;  
  
Thank you for every dream and every  
inspiration...  
  
Thank you for everything.  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com 


	3. The Third Sheep Named Venom

A Note to the Readers: All contents in this story is under an artistic   
license. Fact and fiction will be clomped together into one huge blob.   
In other words, don't bother me about debating whether some   
conversations in this fanfic is truly based on fact... as Naoko Takeuchi   
has done many times. Truth, after all, is an elusive thing! ^-~. Enjoy!  
  
When All the Good Angels Sleep  
******************************  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
"No te engano la primavera"Did spring never deceive you  
con besos que no florecieron?"with kisses that didn't blossom?"  
  
--Pablo Neruda  
("The Book Of Questions")  
  
  
"And I looked, and behold a pale horse:   
and his name that sat on him was Death."  
  
--Bible: New Testament  
(Revelation 6:8)   
  
  
The Third Sheep Named Venom  
---------------------------  
  
"Under the spreading chestnut tree  
I sold you and you sold me:  
There lie they, and here lie we  
Under the spreading chestnut tree."  
-- George Orwell  
("1984")  
  
"When the truth comes out, there is always a   
period of silence, of shock, and mayhap, even   
a little bit of despair. Yet, when all of   
that disappear and acceptance once again reigns   
supremely over the mind, then you shall see that  
sometimes, the truth is best left unsaid. Why   
do you think that even I am locked away from all  
the workings of time? I, its guardian, cannot   
even be trusted with its secrets for what my   
judgment might impede me to do. Simply because   
I am human still, and if I knew that the outcome  
may not be what I wish it to be, I would work  
and toil to make it as I see fit, as I deem right.   
So in the end, my Queen, it is best to keep some   
knowledge to yourself, even at the risk of lies  
and deceits. After all, wouldn't you agree that a  
life is worth more than a little white lie?"  
  
-- Sailor Senshi Pluto  
("Letters to the Queen")  
  
  
The dripping of water woke her, startled her from her dreamless   
sleep. The midnight blue surrounded her, reminding her of the eyes of   
her lover. "Mamo-chan," she whispered but there was no answer, no   
distant call. Puzzled at this, she turned her head and saw nothing but   
darkness around her, darkness and herself. All alone in the dark. Her   
eyes blinked, crystal blue startled and frightened. Limp, white arms   
gathered around her waist and curled around her, as her breath came in   
puffs of white. "So cold..." The voice faded. Her voice faded into   
nothingness.  
  
Thump.  
  
Alone.  
  
Thump, thump.  
  
So very alone.  
  
***  
  
Usagi woke at the beeping of her communicator. At first she   
thought if was her alarm clock, but when slamming that didn't work, her   
desperately groggy mind formulated that it must be her communicator.   
"What?" She asked when she opened the screen, only half-awake. Ami's   
face popped up, serious as ever. "Min'na, I'm calling a senshi meeting   
at Mamoru-kun's place."  
  
Seeing the others nod on the screen, she agreed reluctantly.   
"Ami-chan? I'm tired, can't it be later?" She whined, after all, at   
least this time Usagi had a legitimate excuse for only being half-awake.   
She had stayed the night at the hospital beside Rei's bed, hoping the   
other would wake. Of course, the dark-haired woman continued to sleep   
peacefully, something that scared Usagi since she had never known Rei to   
be so submissive and far away before, even if her body was in arms   
reach.  
  
Minako had taken over for the morning, but now that it was noon,   
it would probably be Makoto at the hospital now. Makoto. She was sick   
a few days ago, and Usagi was glad that she was no longer bed ridden.   
Yet, was it better now that it was Rei who took the place of the one who   
was sick? Rei who was hardly ever sick looked so pale and fragile lying   
against the white sheets of the hospital room. And that time when they   
were all present Rei had said...  
  
Artemis and Luna were already off, and what worried Usagi was that   
she hardly saw either of the two cats anymore. They both looked tired   
and haggard, yet, the gleam of determination in their eyes told her that   
they were working on something. She couldn't stop them, she knew that   
much!  
  
Usagi mentally shook her head, as she got dressed from her bed.   
The Tuskino household was especially quiet this morning and Usagi   
silently thanked the gods above that the incident at the school had left   
it closed for another day or two. Just enough time for the weekends to   
roll in, and she doubted that they'd be able to finish the   
reconstruction of that section of the building by then. Mercury's fog   
had frozen a part of the wall and Makoto's blast had skewered more than   
just the youma! Usagi yawned, glad that at least now she could get more   
sleep and visit Rei-chan on a regular basis.  
  
Of course, now that she thought about it, a lot of people had been   
getting the flu lately. Of course Shingo had the sniffles for a while   
and now that was gone as well, but whatever happened, it had been   
spreading quite rapidly around Tokyo. In fact, she had seen more than a   
few people here and there that were getting sick. Perhaps she was   
wrong, maybe too many teachers and students were having the flu and not   
enough people would be occupying the school. Maybe the flu was   
contagious or something...  
  
Usagi shuddered, for she hated to be sick. Well, good thing she   
wasn't! Hopefully, Rei-chan would wake up today, too! She climbed down   
the stairs and walked toward the kitchen. Strange, shouldn't her mother   
be cooking right about now? She glanced over at the cute kitty clock   
that hung on the living room wall and frowned. Noon, that's strange,   
her mother usually had something on the table by now and would have been   
scolding her for waking up so late. She walked into the kitchen,   
hearing the whistling of one of the pots turn into a scream for   
attention as white puffy steam rose heartily up to the ceiling. "Mama?   
Where are you?" She called out. Nobody answered her call. That was   
even stranger than not being scolded by now. She had heard earlier that   
Shingo and her father were heading out for a round of baseball in the   
park, but nothing from her mother except the usual clanging of pots and   
pans before she had fallen back to sleep. Then she saw the neat white   
shocks encased in pale violet slippers, white ankles poking out the   
other side. She let out a gasping scream that was muffled under the   
shrill whistling of the boiling water. Running over she found her   
mother lying unconscious on the floor, the ladle on a few feet from the   
limp hand, obviously having fallen out of her okaa-san's hand when she   
became unconscious. "Mama! Mama!"  
  
Sleepy blue eyes opened slightly at her before closing in pain,   
"Usagi-chan..." her mother murmured softly to her frantic calls before   
losing to the darkness once more.  
  
Frantically Usagi jumped up from the floor and ran to the phone,   
quickly dialing the emergency numbers that her parents made her memorize   
when she was but a small child. Everything went in a blur, the   
emergency ambulance blaring their sirens when they finally arrived sent   
a buzz through the neighborhood and her silent house. Somebody had   
turned off the stove -- who she would never recall -- the ride to the   
hospital holding her mother's hand, while the medic checked her heart   
beat and her breathing, was filled with fear and anticipation. The slow   
creeping of time before her father and Shingo ran into the hospital   
room, her father looking disheveled and sick with worry, Shingo having a   
look of disbelief on his face as they saw the pale face of her mother   
lying helplessly on the hospital bed. "They said that she just had a   
mild run of fever and that she'd be fine." Usagi murmured softly. A   
numb feeling crept over her body. It reminded her so much of what Rei   
looked like in her own hospital bed only a few floors up. "They said we   
can take her home as soon as she gains consciousness."  
  
Her father took over the other side of her mother, his hands   
closing shakily over the pale soft hand that Usagi remembered always   
there to comfort when they were sick. She looked up and met the   
stricken look in her father's eyes and she felt her heart go out for   
him. There was so much pain in the room, so much uncertainties and   
fears. She fought back the tears and tried to smile at her father,   
though it came out weak.  
  
I must be strong, she thought.  
  
"Odango, you think Mama's going to be alright?" Shingo asked, his   
voice wavering. He was so young! Usagi almost forgotten how young he   
seemed to her till now. This was the first time Mama ever fainted from   
an illness and the doctors were too busy to check on her with so many   
other sick patients in the hospital. He seemed to want to be so brave   
for Papa too, yet, the slight quiver in his voice gave him away.  
  
So young...  
  
Her hand strayed toward her mother's but the coldness startled her   
and a darkness washed throughout her body.  
  
The broken tower--  
  
The black, bloodied sky--  
  
The white brilliant light with angels rising--  
  
So much pain... a touch of Death!  
  
Gasping she rose. "I-- I--" she couldn't finish even as the   
images evaporated into nothingness. The memories lingered in her mind   
and a fear, a dark fear from the waves of crushing loneliness washed   
over her and a silence so great--  
  
She turned and ran from the room in fear. There was too much pain   
there, too much darkness!  
  
"Was it something I said?" Shingo asked in surprise.  
  
Tuskino Kenji could only shake his head as he sat down wearily by   
the bed. "Iie, Shingo. Let Usagi-chan sort out her emotions for now.   
She probably just had a very long week," Kenji's eyes though, were   
already on the pale face of his wife's.  
  
Shingo nodded reluctantly and sat on the other side of his   
mother's hospital bed, holding her free hand and hoping she get better   
soon. But still Usagi's wide and frightened eyes haunted Shingo as he   
watched his mother sleep, unsure what it was that was making her so   
withdrawn to them all.  
  
Was it something in Mama's touch?  
  
Yet the answer eluded him and his worries clouded out whatever   
questions that might have lingered in his mind.  
  
***  
  
"Usagi-chan's still not here," Minako said glumly as she sat down   
in the sofa. Ami paced the floor before them with more agitation than   
they'd ever seen of her.  
  
"What could be taking her so long?" Ami asked herself worriedly   
as she paced the floor. "Oh, I hope it's not because..." then the blue-  
haired girl went into a string of whispered grumbling that none of them   
could understand or even catch a few words of.  
  
Makoto shifted worriedly in her own seat, not wishing to leave Rei   
by herself for too long. "Maybe we should have the meeting another   
time." The brunette suggested. It was strange to have a meeting at   
Mamoru's apartment. Usually, it was more like one big party at Rei-  
chan's temple. But things hadn't been going on as usual since the youma   
attack. Makoto paused, feeling something strange stirring deep within   
her. Blinking in surprise, she squashed down the uneasy feeling and   
tried to concentrate on Ami stalking back and forth across Mamoru's   
living room.  
  
Mamoru on the other hand was looking worriedly out the window,   
once in awhile glancing at the door as if waiting for Usagi to burst   
through out-of-breath and apologizing for being late again. The phone   
rang, making them all practically jump out of their skins. "I'll get   
it." Mamoru said, excusing himself as he reached for the sleek black   
phone. "Moshi, moshi, Chiba Mamoru speaking."  
  
"Mamo-chan," the voice on the other line quivered slightly.  
  
"Usako?" He gasped in surprise. "Where are you?" He asked   
immediately. Something was unsettling in the way she spoke his name, in   
the way she greeted him.  
  
"There was a broken tower--" she whispered and somehow her voice   
seemed very distant.  
  
"Usako? Usako, were are you?" The others stared at him in   
startled surprise, a feeling of anxiety rose and tightened the tension   
in the room.  
  
A silent pause grinded onto their nerves before Usagi finally   
responded, "Mama's sick," she whispered, "the hospital," she finally   
said. "I'm at the hospital." Her voice returning, more firm than   
before. "Mamo-chan," the way she spoke his name was so wastful.  
  
"Hai, Usako?" He whispered and the others seemed to breath at   
last as he relaxed his shoulders.  
  
Another pause, another silence, as if Usagi was debating with   
herself on something she wished to say to him. "Never mind." The   
decision was made and the phone rang dead in his ears.  
  
He suddenly felt desperately eager to leave the apartment as soon   
as he could as the mystery danced out of his grasp and the way Usagi   
spoke worried him greatly. He stood there for a moment staring at the   
phone, uncertain of his next move. Should he tell the others?  
  
"I'll be right there, Usako." He said to no one in particular and   
when he finally hung up the phone, he was already turning towards the   
door. Usagi had never hung up before he did and she never did so   
without a goodbye or at the very least a small whisper of 'I love you'   
before he set down the phone himself. Somehow, since the last time he   
saw her, she seemed to have aged, her voice sounded so different than   
before.  
  
"Was that Usagi-chan?" Minako finally exploded with curiosity.   
Determined to get this meeting moving into somewhat of a steadier pace   
than the stalemate that had been keeping the silence for the past hour.   
"I know it was her because you were practically shouting her name! What   
was going on? Is something the matter?"  
  
"Hai," Mamoru answered, though he wasn't quite sure what question   
he was answering to or even if it was one of the questions that Minako   
asked him. Already he was down the hallway and picking up his jacket on   
the way out the door.  
  
All three girls hurried after him, "So what did she say?" Makoto   
asked angrily for the lack of a better response from the dark-haired   
prince.   
  
"Is she coming or not?" Ami demanded.  
  
"Usagi's at the hospital." That stopped all three girls dead in   
their tracks. They glanced at each other in shock and a little bit of   
shame for assuming that Usagi was being irresponsible once more. Then   
the worry set in full force.  
  
"She's at the hospital?" All three exclaimed, "Is she alright?   
Did something happen?"  
  
"Her okaa-san's ill," Mamoru answer honestly as he reached for his   
shoes.  
  
They all sighed in relief but it was Minako who offered the first   
words of apology. "Gomen ne, we didn't realize." Minako said but by   
that time Mamoru had already put on his shoes.  
  
"We'll come with you!" Makoto volunteered right away as all of   
them hurried to put on their own shoes. Soon, the four of them were   
zooming down the highway at a breakneck speed. Usually, Ami would have   
commented on something like this, but the blue-haired girl stayed silent   
on the passenger side, staring out the window as if lost in her own   
little world. Minako and Makoto, on the other hand, discussed in hushed   
voices, though soon silence fell within the car again. It wasn't too   
much of a surprise seeing that they all had much to think about at the   
moment. The agonizingly silent ride came to a sudden halt as all of   
them jumped from the car and raced for the hospital.  
  
"Tuskino, we're looking for the Tuskino family that were just   
admitted in here about an hour or so ago." Minako gasped as she was the   
first at the desk. Mamoru was not far behind, and Makoto followed with   
Ami running through the sliding doors of the hospital all at once.  
  
"Relations of the family?" The clerk at the desk droned on, his   
reddish-blond hair gleamed dully under the flourscent lights of the   
hospital.  
  
Mamoru frosted his eyes as he yanked the man off his chair until   
the other was only inches from his face, so fast that nobody even   
realized what he was doing until he spoke. "I'm Doctor Chiba Mamoru and   
I demand that you tell me where Tuskino Ikuko is placed at this moment."  
  
Shaky hands typed at the keys and finally the room number came up.   
The clerk croaked it out and before he could even finish his apology to   
Mamoru and the group, the four were had already gone racing down the   
hallway.  
  
"Usagi-chan!" They called as soon as they got off of the   
elevator, looking frantically for her in all directions.  
  
"She's not here!" Makoto cried out in distress when they found   
the floor lacking the blond-haired princess.  
  
"Rei-chan! She must have gone to Rei-chan!" Minako suddenly   
piped up as Makoto was already pushing the button for the elevator to   
take them to Rei's floor.  
  
In a few moments they were rushing into Rei's room. The sight   
that greeted them when they arrived shocked all of them into a stand   
still. They stood there gaping as Usagi wept softly beside Rei, her   
head in her hands. A young man opposite the odangle-blonde spoke softly   
to her while holding Rei's free hand. But that wasn't what had stopped   
them at the door, for it was Rei herself who was sitting beside Usagi,   
gently stroking her hair in silent comfort.  
  
"Rei-chan!" Minako gasped in astonishment.  
  
Mamoru walked hurriedly to the tearful Usagi and laid a gentle   
hand on her shoulder as the others followed him silently, crowding   
around Rei's bed. "Daijoubu-yo?" Mamoru asked her softly.  
  
Usagi lifted her head and looked to Rei and then to Mamoru with a   
weak smile, "Daijoubu."  
  
"Rei-chan?" Minako asked, uncertain to how to take this turn of   
events. Ami was already checking on the dark-haired girl with her   
computer while glancing with equal worry at their princess. "How-- When   
did you wake up?"  
  
"Just a while ago," Rei replied with a smile and teasingly glanced   
over at Usagi. "Couldn't sleep with her bawling over me, I'd drown if I   
didn't sit up!" Usagi grinned, her smile more natural now that all of   
them were there. Makoto looked slightly dazed for a moment, probably   
from the shock, Minako reasoned.  
  
The brunette hadn't been feeling well all day but was able to hide   
it from the others till now. The tension at Mamoru's apartment, the   
distress at Usagi's sudden appearance at the hospital, and the   
excitement that Rei had finally awoken from her coma had worn her out.   
And as Makoto walked beside Minako, looking into Rei's strange onyx   
eyes, she felt herself slip ever so slightly inside. The darkness   
gripped her inside and she felt as if her whole form was tipping over.   
She opened her mouth to cry out in alarm but nothing escaped. Those   
beautiful emerald eyes that Makoto had always been so proud of having   
suddenly began to burn with unusual brightness and Makoto faded into the   
shadows of her soul.  
  
"Daijoubu-yo Mako-chan?" Ami asked worriedly as she glanced over.  
  
Usagi seemed to have stiffened as Rei narrowed her eyes at the   
sudden darkness that seemed to have fallen over the room. Ami's   
question turned them all to Makoto who's smile seemed suddenly so alien   
to them all. "Daijoubu," the brunette replied with a dark smirk on her   
lips.  
  
The tall brunette didn't even glance over to Ami as she walked   
over to Rei who suddenly seemed to widen her eyes in alarm as the   
presence of shadows increased with each step. "Mako-chan--?" One hand   
snaked out as she pinned Rei to the bed with her one hand wrapped around   
the dark-haired girl's throat, cutting off the other before more words   
could be spoken.  
  
Usagi screamed, her chair toppling as she stumbled back into   
Mamoru's steady arms. Her blue eyes widening like the others in the   
room. The clip that held Makoto's ponytail together snapped, spilling   
her auburn tresses down and around her shoulders. Ami gasped in shock   
at Makoto's violent behavior while Minako tried desperately to wrestle   
Makoto away from Rei, only to be knocked away with a force that sent her   
crashing into the wall beside the bed. By then Rei was gasping and   
trying desperately to remove Makoto's tightening grip from around her   
throat. Usagi shifted away from Mamoru, snapping out of her daze as she   
watched in horror as Minako was flung like a doll into the wall. The   
odango-blonde raced toward Makoto, before her pale hands gripped onto   
the brunette's arm, begging Makoto to let go. "Onegai," Usagi cried,   
"let go! Let go!"   
  
Rei tried to wrestle the brunette's hands from her throat but the   
world grew hazzy around the edges and she knew with desperation that her   
strengths would soon fail her. Mamoru was only moments behind Usagi,   
trying with all his strength to drag the strongest inner senshi away   
from the dark-haired girl, but to no avail! Then, the man they had seen   
sitting quietly beside Rei for all this time, stilled perhaps in   
concentration or shock, rise swiftly forward. His hands moved with   
unnatural speed as he touched the startled forehead of Makoto, grasping   
as he chanted out the words that sent her withering in his grasp as if   
being burned as she screetched out. In a moment the brunette was   
unconscious and slumped within the stranger's grasp.  
  
Rei was now dragging painful gulps of oxygen into her lungs that   
had been starved of air, moving Makoto's fingers from around her throat   
slowly. Coughing slightly after the tight chokehold that Makoto had on   
her, Rei tried to rise weakly from her bed to assist them in moving the   
brunette fromt he bed. "Minako-chan," she whispered through her aching   
throat. A sound that was barely audible escaped Rei's lips, but Usagi   
heard it and she was already kneeling over the blonde. Mamoru swept   
Makoto cautiously away as he lifted the her into his arms and out of the   
room, whispering something into Usagi's ear before he left. The dark-  
haired man watched the halls carefully to see if anyone would come check   
on them, but there was no sign that anyone even heard.  
  
At least they had closed the door and, by some chance, a group of   
people had came in during the exact time that the struggle took place,   
all of them in critical condition. No one heard the screaming inside   
Rei's room, though Mamoru was unsure if that was an omen of good or   
evil.  
  
"What just happened?" Ami demanded once Mamoru was out of the   
room. Her blue-eyes was wide with surprise, but already she was tending   
to Minako. After finally snapping out of her stupor, she had quickly   
raced over to the two blondes, ordering Usagi to stop trying to move   
Minako for more harm than good would be done if odangle-haired girl   
moved the other in the wrong way.  
  
"There was a disease festering in Mako-chan's soul, I just cut off   
its access to her mind, but its still there." The stranger sighed   
heavily. "It was a strong spirit," he answered Rei's worried glance.  
  
"I know," she answered, "I felt it." He helped her sit up again   
and held Rei protectively in his arms. The dark-haired girl turned to   
Ami weakly as the blue-haired girl looked puzzled between the two. "She   
was possessed Ami-chan." Rei explained after a cough escaped her lips.  
  
Ami flicked her eyes to the solemn Rei who looked as if she just   
got hit by a train. "Will Minako be alright?" Usagi asked, snapping   
Ami from questioning the others further.  
  
"Hai, Usagi, but we need to get her some bandages. I fear that   
Minako nearly cracked her ribs." Ami frowned at this. It seems that   
dark force that both the stranger and Rei sensed had been able to tap   
into some of Sailor Jupiter's strength, even when Makoto was in civilian   
form. That can lead to many conclusions, Ami thought as Usagi scouraged   
around the room and the bathroom, finally coming up with some bandages.   
The stranger helped them settle Minako carefully into the empty bed   
beside Rei's, nodding at the questioning look Ami sent him, he stepped   
out of the room.  
  
Quickly, Ami turned and bound Minako wherever her computer told   
her that the bones had been weakened from the struggle between the blond   
and Makoto. Silently, Usagi watched Ami's back as she worked, grasping,   
sometimes painfully, onto Rei's hand. The dark-haired girl remained   
silent, pensively looking toward Minako as the other remained in a world   
Rei could not reach her in. Usagi would catch the dark-haired girl   
looking sad at times at the blonde, as if she knew something that none   
of them knew. Finally the silence was broken when Ami clipped the last   
bandage and attached it securily into place.  
  
"Done," Ami nodded satsified before turning to the two women who   
were still watching her. "Don't worry, nothing that can't be fixed in a   
few days by sleep," Ami assured them as she looked back at her patient.   
"She'll be pretty bruised up, but none of her bones are acutally broken   
and nothing else seemed to be wrong."  
  
Usagi nodded before standing, "I think we can get her to Mamoru's   
car now, ne?"  
  
"Mamoru's car?" Ami asked surprised.  
  
By then, the odangle-blonde had already opened the door and told   
the stranger what must be done. He nodded and walked in, glancing over   
at Rei worriedly before taking the blonde up and heading out the door.   
"Is that what he told you before he left?" Rei asked.  
  
"Hai," Usagi nodded as Ami sat down uncertain as to what must now   
be done.  
  
"There is much to do," Ami said at last.  
  
"Much," Rei agreed as Usagi sat down on the other side.  
  
"Ne!" Usagi sighed with a bright smile, trying to cheer the   
others up for just a little while. Worry plagued her own heart, but for   
just a moment, she wanted to forget. "It's just the three of us left."   
Usagi smiled at the puzzled looks her friends sent her. "Reminds me of   
old times, doesn't it?"  
  
Ami nodded and Rei returned the grin, "Of old times." The dark-  
haired girl sighed.  
  
A comfortable silence settled between the three before they each   
fell back into a slumber. That was how Hiketsu found them when he   
returned from Mamoru's car, ready to transport the last of them homeward   
before anyone suspect that something had happened there. Yet, for a few   
moments, he let them sleep safely in their dreams, holding hands as if   
the dark days could still be held at bay for just a little bit longer.  
  
***  
  
Kuragari Fuma turned the knob of the door and heard the chiming   
bell go off over his head to announce his presence. Well, so much for   
surprising the owners or slipping in quietly! He walked into the store   
expecting to be greeted by some fat storekeeper who would smile at him   
cheerfully, happy to receive a costumer. Instead, he found an empty   
shop room, filled with exotic antiques and makeup. A strange   
combination, but it wasn't without taste.  
  
He stepped in cautiously, glancing left and right as if expecting   
someone to show up at any moment to surprise him with a salesclerk smile   
and a product to wave under his nose. Instead, only silence greeted   
him. For a moment, he had thought that he could almost see a dusty   
breath of air dance across the floor, but then shook his head at the   
silly notion. "Hello?" He called out to the empty store. Feeling even   
sillier now than ever. What am I doing just standing here in the   
doorway? He stepped forth and walked to the counter, expecting to at   
least see some living thing moving.  
  
Nothing.  
  
His sensors were going overboard but he still couldn't pin down   
what it was that was disturbing him. He looked around the store   
expectantly, before heading for the back of the store. Passing through   
the bead curtain, an empty hallway was revealed to him. "Hello? Anyone   
here?" Still no answer. He walked down the dark hall, sniffing the   
air. Strange, a smell as if no one had been here for a while, but then   
how was it possible for the place to be so neat? He opened the first   
door to his left. A bathroom, its lights flickering on as he entered.   
Nothing. The counter was scattered with makeup and brushes, a toilet   
and some extra towels. No shower and only one basin. The cabinet under   
the basin was filled with even more makeup. He looked up at the mirror,   
only seeing the reflection of the wall, none of which contained him in   
the picture. Good, at least some things were still normal! Then his   
eyes rested on a picture in the corner of the glass, a group picture   
with nine females. Four older women and five younger ones smiled back   
at him. All different by the looks of them, yet all smiling and some   
were even waving at the camera. A few bold ones were blowing kisses.   
Definitely a strange mixture of people! How these types of people got   
together in the first place was beyond Fuma.  
  
He discovered four rooms after that, each different in taste and   
design, pictures scattered here and there in some of the rooms, others   
were incredibly neat. Nothing seemed out of place. Except that one of   
the rooms had a broken mirror. Another's bed was unusually messy,   
sheets twisted off of the bed to spill onto one side. A chair was   
tossed over in one room and another room had makeup on the floor as if   
it had been swept off of the clean table next to a shattered window.   
Shattered window?  
  
Fuma moved in closer to the broken panes and then his eyes zoomed   
to one sharp edge, holding a bit of blood. His mind took the snap shot   
of the people in the bathroom that he saw and searched onto the web for   
the DNA match for each of them. Carefully he reached forth and put his   
finger to the bloodied glass and closed his eyes trying to match the   
blood with one of the women in the picture. Finally a face came, it was   
the woman with dark-green hair held in a tight bun that showed up in his   
scan, she had a cocky smile in the picture and was the tallest there.   
His eyes narrowed. Four rooms. That must mean four of the women in the   
picture were the ones running this store. Something was out of place   
here though. Thinking about it closely, the seemingly ordinary mess   
could be actual signs of a struggle. But it wasn't much of a struggle   
by the looks of it. This one at least put up a fight. Unless, of   
course, this was the last victim. He systematically began to categorize   
the room from most disturbed to least, trying to figure out the patterns   
of attack.  
  
Something shifted in the room, his sensors went berserk as he   
tensed and dove to one side. Black talons, sharp and thick, struck from   
the roof to the ground. He groaned. If he were human, he'd be dead by   
now! He rolled away and searched the ceiling, trying to locate the   
signature and aura of the attack. In less than a moment he was racing   
out the doorway of the tattered room, the dark lava-like shadows slashed   
and smashed down towards him, trying to cut him to pieces. His left   
palm opened as he dove for the window display. His fist closing over   
the white ball that appeared in the center of his palm just as his body   
passed through the glass, rippling slightly from contact.  
  
The building exploded from within. The monster that resided there   
screamed as its body was pulverized by special traps Fuma had set before   
he entered the place. The small explosions illuminated the shop -- host   
body of the darkness -- while keeping the demon within stuck to the   
crumbling building it had used as its home and life source for the last   
few days. He rolled up from the ground, not a scratch on him, even with   
the glass debris at his feet. His grey-violet eyes were revealed as he   
took off his sunglasses at the display of fireworks before him. The   
shadow monster tried one last desperate act to escape as an irritated   
smile shifted onto Fuma's face. "I don't think so bastard. I've got a   
debt to return to you!" Cables shot from the ground, demolishing   
concrete as it laced around the struggling demon and smashed it down   
into the heart of the flames. The fire roared and exploded one last   
time, his clothes rippling at the sudden heat wave that swept the   
neighborhood. Hey, you got to keep the image that you're still more   
than just a visual spectacle somehow! He ran his hands through his   
blond hair with a smirk. Picking up the bag that had been spat out by   
the building, he walked away from the scene. Wherever those sisters   
were, they were no longer in the building, and he was more than glad to   
get back at the monster, similar to the one that had nearly destroyed   
him years ago.  
  
He flexed his free hand instinctively. "One point to the good   
guys," he said cheerfully as he slung the dark bag over his shoulder and   
strolled away from the burning building.  
  
***  
  
Fujimia Doko walked into the office building that was the meeting   
place of his party. His dark eyes flashing as he passed through the   
metal detector. A pleasant smile lingering on his lips as he passed the   
security guards that he took upon himself to get to know better. They   
waved, as he walked by and he waved back, taking care to smile a little   
more brightly at the fat captain. All of them were a bunch of idiots.   
They scan you for weapons that you don't need to kill a man with and   
they'll never suspect it's you until it's all too late. These dumb   
bastards were so predictable!  
  
He strolled up to the elevator and pushed the upward button,   
thinking over plans to reveal the secret that the government had been   
planning not to tell the public about the rising fear of the epidemic in   
Europe, Americas, and Africa. Asia was reporting similar findings, but   
idiotic Japanese people won't understand that it's almost too late to   
close the borders without being infected with the disease! But maybe   
Doko was wrong. He clung to the idea that he might still have time to   
save his country, no matter how stupid the people who resided there   
could be.  
  
What did they expect? A group of mini-skirted girls to declare   
that they can, not only fight imaginary monsters, but a virus as well?   
What a laugh, these fools! He was the one who would reveal the truth!   
He would be the one to save them all from the clutches of death, and by   
the gods above, he would make his country proud! The elevator binged   
open and he stepped into the gold-brown cage that would take him to the   
top floor where the arrogant and fat head of the department sat,   
wallowing in his own useless powers. Doko was disgusted at the thought   
that such a man could even wield this much power! They belong to the   
pigpens and the slaughterhouses! He thought angrily as he pushed down   
on the button before him that was labeled '11'. The orange light lit   
behind the button as the elevator picked itself up for the climb upward.   
He leaned against the wall impatiently, waiting for the elevator to   
arrive at its destined floor as he tapped his foot angrily. The   
elevator paused, stopping suddenly with its lights flashing.   
"Shimatta!" He swore under his breaths as he leaned over to push the   
'11' button a few more times. "Damn it, work!" He cried as he banged   
on the panel, unwittingly ignoring the sudden darkness that fell within   
his compartment as he started to raise his fist to smash down on the   
panel once more.  
  
He didn't even see the black shadowy goop that flowed all around   
him, slowly forming the outline of a faceless demon. One claw stretched   
from the wall of the elevator behind him, stretching the being from the   
two-dimensional form to a realistic and fearsome monster that reached   
for the frustrated Fujimia Doko who still remained clueless to its   
presence. "Damn machine!"  
  
"Yes..." the shadow demon whispered in delight at finding a new   
host. Its menacing amusement seemed to drip from its hissing voice.  
  
Doko froze, knowing that moments ago he was the only one in the   
elevator. He started to turn to face the faceless monster that loomed   
over him. A squeal of horror rose in his throat and turned to a muffled   
scream as the monster plunged itself into his body, taking him over   
completely. The darkness had found another host in the bustling world   
of Tokyo and the mission to release the darkness had only just begun.  
  
No one heard the scream that Fujimia Doko gave out on the last day   
of being human. No one knew what had happened. All they knew was that   
when the elevator binged to a stop on the 11th floor of the prominent   
building near the Diet Building itself, a polished man stepped out. His   
hair slicked back, dark eyes searching out the place he wished to go to   
and a cold smile that could freeze the heart of any that saw it. That   
was all they saw, all they reported before the world slipped a little   
more into madness. They of course didn't hear the scream in the office   
as the head of the National Party was killed. They never even knew he   
had gone missing.  
  
After that day, Fujimia Doko was no more. From then on, he was   
the head of the National Party, and all who wondered otherwise exactly   
how he got to that position either forgot or were forgotten. Slowly the   
party eliminated more party opposition through stranger and stranger   
circumstances. No one even questioned how some of the things had   
happened, those who did get too close just disappeared from the scene,   
never to be heard from again.  
  
Just like the real Fujimia Doko.  
  
They were after all, just lost little lambs brought to the altar   
of sacrifice and death to the oncoming Dark God that would rule over the   
dying world.  
  
The darkness came upon the Earth in silence.  
  
To the one man who would set the already broken world to ruins...   
  
***  
  
Blip. Blip. Blip.  
  
Wires twisted together, rubbing and twisting, connecting to places   
most know not the existence of. Dancing to the rhythm of the mechanic   
world unseen. One man sat in the corner. A thin metallic shine covered   
his skin and glowed under the flickering fluorescent lights. Thousands   
of slim needles quivered at the convulsion of muscles as he delved into   
the unseen world behind the binary code, not only understanding the   
language the machine spoke it but being able to command and think as the   
machine.  
  
The wires were connected to the needles, once in a while an arc of   
electricity swept through the air, harming nothing but shocking one   
muscle of his body into motion. This was how Core kept his body from   
degenerating when he was off exploring, that and the almost invisible   
tube that connected an IV to his blood stream, his only supply of food   
and liquid. Of course, Core's body was made for this, not many knew   
that there were actual metallic substances in his blood and his body.   
Provoke the guy enough, and you'll see someone flying. Everything was   
thought controlled, everything was linked to the CORE, and everything   
was him as he roamed the cyber world.  
  
Alyssa Smith, who are you?  
  
He searched from place to place, hoping to find her yet never had   
he encountered her name. Strange. He couldn't even find a profile that   
was similar to what people claimed she had said or done. That wasn't   
the only thing bothering him. Never had he found his resources so   
limited until now, at a time of crisis. He didn't have time for this!   
He delved into the cameras and computers of Japan, having not seen much   
of what had been happening in that country.  
  
His attention snapped. What the hell was that? The video camera   
showed a man screaming into thin air before convulsing. Then that same   
man just got up and waited patiently for the doors to open. Core zoomed   
and accessed the government data.  
  
A picture of the man came up, no longer blurry. A name: Fujimia   
Doko, with the rest of his basic information. A government agent is he?   
Not much of a big shot, either. What had happened in that elevator   
though unsettled Core, and he was determined to get to the bottom of   
that! A thought came to him. He had been busily trying to keep down   
the news of the plague in all the other major countries, but Japan's   
been so quiet! That unsettled him even more as he searched, trying to   
find the one death certificate that he didn't really want to see.  
  
Ami Mizuno. Nothing. Startled, and checking to make sure that   
her death should've already arrived if her reaction to the disease were   
like the rest of the world's population, he checked again. Still   
nothing. His suspicion started to get more and more of his attention.   
He should've realized that Japan would be the hot spot for weirdness!   
What did he expect from a country whose heroines were believed to wear   
mini-skirts and tight leotards? One with too much active imagination   
and hormones, that's for sure! Yet, the idea that Japan may have been   
the place he should've been searching to find the cure was what drove   
him to track down the whereabouts of the only other contact that he had   
left in Tokyo. Except for Mizuno Ami of course, but he had known for a   
very long time that she was not wholly honest with him and didn't really   
trust him, not since he had first approached her on the net.  
  
'Fuma, I need you to check in on something I just found somewhat   
disturbing.'  
  
'Well, well, well! If it isn't mister big shot, himself! Glad to   
make an acquaintance with you, too!'  
  
'Your sarcasm is flattering, but I haven't the time for it this.   
This time I don't want to fill your little void of loneliness with happy   
smilies, like you always do on those nets to piss off some freak on the   
web!'  
  
'Ah, and your perception is as sharp as ever, I see! Well, I'm   
glad to know I'm becoming more and more like you by the minute.'  
  
'You have a sense of humor that is shattering.'  
  
'Flattery does not become you.'  
  
Core was slightly startled by the power levels that he found in   
his wayward companion. 'What exactly have you been up to?'  
  
'What? This is how you greet all your little helpers on the   
ground is it?'  
  
'Damn it! Can't you give a straight answer for once?'  
  
'Now, let's not get hasty my friend! After all, I can't   
particularly say when this happy feeling begun. Could be because of   
that little shop I blew up about six hours ago.'  
  
'WHAT?!'  
  
'Wow! A cybernetic rage! Never witnessed one of those before!'  
  
'Don't push it or you're going to see what happens to all those   
lost little files that get in my way on a bad day.'  
  
'You burn them?'  
  
'Do I look like I have a torch to burn them with? Oh, why am I   
entertaining these little gibes of yours?'  
  
'I don't know, maybe it's because you love me.'  
  
'Your personality on the net is truly bashful.'  
  
'I hope you mean I'm shy.'  
  
'With a club I just might.'  
  
'Now, I'm glad to see you've loosened up! Even if your humor is   
still a little on the stale side...'  
  
'Just be glad I don't have a real club with me right now!'  
  
'Aw, no need to get nasty on me!'  
  
'God, you're annoying!'  
  
'You realize CORE, that using God on the net as your identity   
doesn't make you the all powerful one.'  
  
'Don't tell me you actually got a religion.'  
  
'Nope, just making sure you're not getting uptight on me.'  
  
'Look, Fuma, I need you to find a girl!'  
  
'I hope it's not your ex.'  
  
'FUMA!'  
  
'Okay, okay! So, what's her name?'  
  
'Mizuno Ami.'  
  
'I hope she's cute.'  
  
'This is not a flirting contest nor is she your type.'  
  
'Ouch, I thought you'd stave off the topic about me being a   
hologram. That was just low!'  
  
'Not as bad as you actually hitting on her!'  
  
'Well, physically that's impossible for me to do... Hey, what do   
you know? The little cyber-geek finally found a crush. So you do have   
a heart after all!'  
  
'Shut up you machine freak!'  
  
'I thought we were in this together buddy! I'll put in a good   
word or two for you and bam! She's yours! I know, I know, no need to   
thank me yet.'  
  
'Fuma, this is not some dating game nor would I ever be able to   
imagine you as a matchmaker!'  
  
'What? Don't I have a sick mind?'  
  
'You have way too sick of a mind.'  
  
'Well, now I 'am' flattered!'  
  
'Go to hell!'  
  
'Been there, and man, that place is hot. If I still had flesh,   
I'd be feeling it about now. But my sensors did tell me that it's   
boiling, and the demon I smashed down into it with my cables must have   
felt that way too!'  
  
'Was it just me, or was that an attempt at bragging without   
seeming like you were?'  
  
'It's just you.'  
  
'Well then, I'll leave you to go off on your mission now!'  
  
'What? Don't you want to stay and chat?'  
  
'Now who's being the desperate sucker?'  
  
'Hey, don't look at me, I'm the one going off to find the chicks.'  
  
'Females, you hormone induced machine!'  
  
'If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're trying to sound like   
a pubescent boy. Probably around the age of twelve or thirteen.'  
  
Clicked off.  
  
'CORE? Aw man! You didn't have to take it personally!'  
  
'Now you're trying to sound like the brainless surfer-dudes on   
those California beaches.'  
  
'Hey, does that mean I get a tan to go with that?'  
  
'In your dreams.'  
  
'Sorry, don't have those anymore.'  
  
'I give up!'  
  
'What?'  
  
Click off.  
  
'You're not playing that trick on me again! Core? CORE? Fine,   
fine, I'm going, I'm going. So this is a goodbye then?'  
  
'LEAVE!'  
  
Log off.  
  
***  
  
The hot steamy drink wavered in front of her as she blew at the   
dark liquid. Strange that today all of them had seemed so   
uncomfortable. Michiru herself was especially worried since she found   
out that Rei had gotten herself into the hospital. Of course, she also   
understood the dark jealousy that sometimes flashed in Minako's eyes.   
That girl was so passionately melodramatic that she couldn't ever take   
anything on a normal scale. Michiru smiled softly at the idea. Yes,   
Rei did need someone that put her feelings to levels beyond normality,   
especially since the dark-haired shrine maiden seemed to have a   
specialty in suppressing her own.  
  
Shaking her head slightly at the silly notion she glanced out the   
window at the darkening leaves. Yes, winter was fast approaching and   
knowing Usagi, the world would seem to be ending around now seeing that   
she would have to wait a whole year before summer vacation started.   
When did that silly odango head embed herself so deeply in their lives?   
Her heart skipped painfully in her chest. Yes, like Minako, she   
understood the darkness of jealousy very well, but at least Minako could   
write off her excuses and indulge herself. Michiru on the other hand   
could only sit helplessly and watch her lover, the only one who could   
ever capture her heart so completely, love another with a similar   
passion. Not just anyone either, no, Haruka never liked this to be so   
simple. The wind-devil had to choose the one person that Michiru could   
never bring herself to hate or even dislike! Yes, Minako was   
undoubtedly very lucky.  
  
Of course, she shared a dark pain with Rei. They both knew what   
it was like to have jealousy like this. Something that ate away at your   
soul for you know you can never escape it. Hopelessness has a   
bittersweet taste to it when it's mixed with love. It wasn't so long   
ago, now that Michiru thought about it, that she and the dark-haired   
girl sat down and talked. They had much in common, especially when it   
came to the burdens of sensing darkness, hatred, and evil. It was hard   
living your life like that. Michiru tried best to block that part of   
her senses away with art, music, and beauty. Rei had none of that,   
having lived most of her life with the agony of a gift she had never   
wanted, the miko forced herself to learn to find it and destroy it.   
Yet, once, a long time ago when she had first met Rei, the dark-haired   
miko had played the piano when she had thought no one was listening.   
But Michiru heard and she had listened with a sense of amazement to   
realize that there was still much she did not know about the inner   
senshi, who had at first all seemed very simple. 'Help the weak', that   
was Rei's motto when she wasn't expressing her feelings through the   
bone-white keys of the piano. Even if the weak were ungrateful and   
feared Rei's powers she would help them. It was the one predictable   
thing about the inners, their lack of ruthlessness.  
  
Michiru sighed. Feeling saddened by what her sister in arms must   
have suffered in her own life. Yes, Minako would never understand that   
the special bond between Rei and Michiru was pain. Hidden pain. Rei   
gained hers through rejection and longings. Michiru found her own in   
envy and helplessness. So many ways to compare the dark side that they   
would sometimes meet at coffee shops and tell stories! Michiru told Rei   
the one story that she never told anyone, not even Haruka. She told Rei   
the first time she felt jealous of another woman. Of course, she didn't   
say exactly whom it was that she was jealous of but she had a feeling   
Rei knew, or at the very least understood. The girl had a gift, not   
like Usagi's infinite compassion, but she had a different gift. Usagi   
understood pain by physically experiencing it through touch, but Rei   
understood it through experience. The dark-haired miko had been   
reluctant at first, but feeling that she needed to tell someone her   
hidden pain, she at last caved in to Michiru's insistence -- something   
that the aqua-haired woman had found useful on many occasions -- and   
told Michiru her own tale of a bitter brush with love.  
  
What was his name again? Kagemi Kaidou was it? A fitting name   
really. Shadow sword, and Kaidou had something to do with politics, a   
cutting business the man was in. Yes, a very fitting name. Rei   
recalled the Rain Tree song, the same song that Michiru had overheard   
her play, the same song that Michiru sometimes caught the dark-haired   
girl humming to herself sometimes. It was their song after all. A   
truly melancholic song that suited Rei, the quiet sadness that was   
hidden under all her work and duties bloomed in this music like a cherry   
blossom before the fall of winter. Michiru smiled, it was a relief to   
finally find someone who understood, but Michiru was lucky. At least,   
unlike Rei, she didn't see her beloved promised to marry another.   
Though once or twice, in the shadows, without Haruka's knowledge, she   
too had seen them kiss. That passionate kiss that once she had thought   
was reserved only for her. Even if it was a tease, or perhaps Usagi and   
even Haruka had written it off as a joke, Michiru knew that deep in   
Haruka's heart there was confusion. So, Michiru did nothing, wishing   
desperately that she could untangle the mess that they had gotten in,   
but it was futile. She could only wait and see if Haruka would emerge   
from it to leave her or to choose to stay with her. But Michiru knew   
that, unlike many out there in the world, her Haruka would never truly   
be able to give her whole heart to Michiru. So, Minako was lucky after   
all, and without even knowing it.  
  
Michiru calmly sipped her tea as she glanced out the window. How   
fitting, it started to drizzle outside. She was reminded of the song,   
Rain Tree. Poor Rei, she must think of him every time it rains outside.   
It must break her heart! Kaidou was a fool, of course, to let someone   
like Rei slip through his fingers! But who was Michiru to judge? For,   
was she a fool to love Haruka? Someone who would never be able to love   
her fully in return? Someone who would always ask herself, did I make   
the right choice to stay with Michiru? She felt the tears burn the back   
of her eyes, but she did not let them fall, it would be useless to cry   
now.  
  
"Why are you so distant Michiru? Must you return to your own   
world without me?" Haruka asked softly, a small teasing smile on those   
wicked lips. Drowning in her sad thoughts, Michiru had forgotten that   
Haruka was sitting beside her, studying her. But she was glad that at   
least Setsuna wasn't there to give her the warning stare, telling her   
not to make a spectacle of herself by speaking the truth. Of course,   
Setsuna never spoke of this out loud, but Michiru knew the message and   
she felt bitterly inclined to speaking her mind whenever she thought   
about it. She couldn't fault Setsuna for that though, for Setsuna was   
Setsuna. As much as the older women loved them, she still didn't trust   
them, not even Hotaru, not since she started to grow so quickly once   
more. Yet, that was Setsuna. You can't ask someone that old to break a   
habit just as old as herself with ease!  
  
Startled at the question, she looked over at Haruka, her beautiful   
wind-lover. Those white-blond strands of wavy blond hair, always a   
little tousled. The blue of her eyes, like the clearest blue skies,   
sometimes would cloud over with grey as if in a storm. And that smile,   
though reserved, had a hint of wild mischievousness that concealed the   
sadness its owner felt so well. Michiru remembered those smiles, that   
smile that was a part of Haruka's heart. Her hands had itched to sketch   
the blonde that day, and she did, without Haruka's consent of course.   
But Haruka didn't know Michiru existed then, sometimes she wondered how   
much Haruka knew about her now. Haruka might always be a mystery to   
her, and that was what Michiru loved and hated about her tall blonde   
companion. "What do you mean Haruka?" She raised one brow in   
amusement.  
  
The smile turned into an amused smirk. How many times had they   
played this game? Michiru asked herself silently, a little sad that   
this was how things always started and ended with them. Both could   
never show themselves completely to the other. She knew what she   
feared. She feared losing Haruka more than losing her soul, but what   
did Haruka fear? Honestly, she didn't know for sure. Sometimes,   
perhaps, because of simple vanity or desperation, she believed that   
Haruka feared losing her. Yet, perhaps Haruka feared losing Usagi much   
more than she would ever fear losing Michiru. Michiru couldn't fault   
her for that, because she feared losing Usagi too, but perhaps, not as   
much as Haruka did, never that much. No, Haruka was the center of her   
world, not Usagi, only in duty was Usagi the center. As treasonous as   
she knew the thought to be, she couldn't escape it. It was the truth,   
and Michiru had made it a tradition to never lie to herself. "What were   
you dreaming about Michiru? You seemed so lost for a moment in time."  
  
Trust Haruka to be the poet when she felt like it. "Lost you say?   
I think we're all lost." She of course was referring to the   
confrontation between Minako and them, but that didn't stop it from   
having another meaning that her heart wouldn't let her get away with.   
Who was she kidding anyway? She was the only one lost in this game of   
love and war. Yet, her enigmatic reply seemed to have irked her blonde   
companion.  
  
Haruka chuckled at her statement, though Michiru couldn't quite   
pin down what she was chuckling about. There was also a spark of   
contained irritation, strangely mixed with acceptance that shone in   
those defiant blue eyes. "Blunt and to the point as always!" Why did   
that woman have to be so contradictory? Michiru thought in   
exasperation.  
  
Yet, the comment made Michiru grimace inwardly. No, Haruka, if I   
were truly blunt, you might have left me by now. And then where would I   
be without you? Could there exist a Michiru without a Haruka? Then she   
silently scolded herself at such a childish thought, a question that   
only Usagi would ask. Of course, Usagi wouldn't think about Haruka, she   
would only worry about her Mamoru. Michiru often wondered exactly how   
much Usagi knew about the tangled web that wrapped around the three of   
them. Then, of course, she scolded herself again for using so many   
clichés in one thought process.  
  
I'm so selfish. I only care about what may happen between Haruka   
and me. If I lost her, I'd kill myself. Probably blow caution to the   
wind and tell everyone who stood in my way to go to hell! Then again,   
she could be wrong. Maybe she did love Usagi just as much, or at least   
she loved the Earth, its beauty, and its life. Maybe she would stay and   
fight. She rolled that thought around in her mind and then tried to   
imagine doing it without Haruka by her side. It would be strange, maybe   
even impossible. Yet, there is hope isn't there? That if Michiru could   
think of this thought, than she might be able to at least go a few steps   
more if Haruka died or abandoned her, or maybe not.  
  
The daydreams of breaking free from the almost obsessive love she   
had for Haruka went crashing down around her. What was she thinking of?   
How could she possibly think about living without Haruka by her side?  
  
So that was how it went, Michiru's thoughts going in circles,   
trying to rationalize her tangled feelings for her princess and her   
lover. While Haruka watched her silently, unable to decipher what was   
going on in Michiru's head and feeling strangely depressed that Michiru   
would shut her out like this. With her silence as the lock, the door   
and the wall to Michiru's heart, a heart that sometimes Haruka even   
found hard to reach, the blonde felt herself being pained by the barrier   
slowly coming up between them. Now wouldn't Setsuna get a laugh out of   
that? Haruka, knew though, that when Michiru locked herself away like   
this, all she could do was watch and wait, hoping the other would open   
up to her later on and confess the thoughts that troubled her aqua-  
haired lover.  
  
Staring at her cup glumly, she wondered if anyone could be as   
impossible or as impossibly beautiful as Michiru was. She couldn't even   
stay mad at Michiru for doing this constantly. One look at those aqua   
eyes and she'd be putty in Michiru's hands. If someone told her that a   
beautiful woman would be able to sweep her off her feet and make her do   
all the foolish things that those sick little puppies with hearts in   
their eyes would do, she'd call their bluff and them punch them for such   
an insult! But, with Michiru she'd sometimes be as blind as a bat.   
Melting away in those slender hands that had crafted paintings and music   
alike with a talent that was frightening in its degree. And could she   
help herself? She'd get ragingly jealous whenever she saw Michiru   
kissing a fan on the cheek and holding their flowers, but she wouldn't   
tell, especially since getting jealous at those little boys was almost   
insulting to Haruka's reputation! Of course, it was Michiru's way of   
getting back at her for being such an outrageous flirt. And perhaps,   
for Usagi as well...  
  
Haruka sighed softly at the thought. Of course, she didn't get to   
continue for Michiru's aqua eyes immediately found hers. Now, Haruka   
realized that if she ever wanted the attention of her dreamy lover, she   
better sigh and sigh softly. For, though Michiru might be lost in her   
own world of the crashing waves of thoughts, she still listened to   
Haruka's every breath and sensed her ever-changing mood. How? Haruka   
wasn't exactly sure, because she could never really pay attention to   
everything at once, which usually meant she didn't pay much attention to   
anything when Michiru was around. Michiru had once even commented that   
she was like a raging bull, simplistic in thought and drive, single   
mindedly crashing through whatever barrier might be in her way. 'You   
wouldn't notice what's around you except what's before you. You go   
through whatever barriers in your way and ignore the rest that's off the   
path.' That's why she needed Michiru, since the other had a way about   
her that made her in tune to all that was going on around the aqua-  
haired beauty. Always knows what I'm up to does she? Then a moment of   
panic set in as she wondered if Michiru ever caught her kissing Usagi.   
No, no, of course not. Michiru doesn't follow you around like the sick   
little puppy you are! Haruka sighed silently this time in relief, but   
Michiru's eyes were still locked onto her. "Daijoubu?" Such a simple   
word can bring so many not so simple answers!  
  
Yet, Haruka, not wanting to complicate things more answered in the   
simplest way. "Hai." Of course, this answer could lead to many more   
questions, but sensing her reluctance, Michiru didn't push. Sometimes,   
Haruka just loved Michiru for allowing her to have her space! Most   
girls would cling and the few guys she had spent time with when she   
raced were controlling bastards. So, who was she to complain about   
Michiru keeping her own distance? Haruka had her own walls up sometimes   
and clammed up just as much. She was just glad that silence between   
them wasn't always uncomfortable, like it was now...  
  
The door of the cafe chimed and Setsuna walked into the place.   
The bell chimed again as Hotaru followed closely behind. Never had   
Haruka been so glad to see them! "Komban wa!" She said cheerfully as   
she gestured to the chairs before her, trying hard to ignore the pensive   
look that Michiru was giving to the back of her head.  
  
"Komban wa," Setsuna answered with less enthusiasm in her voice.  
  
Haruka almost grimaced at how obvious her relief was. Not that   
she didn't enjoy Michiru's company, hell, she'd die without her aqua-  
haired companion -- which she can be sure of from real life experiences   
-- but sometimes Setsuna and Hotaru would save her from saying something   
really stupid. Like, 'Yeah, Usa-chan's cute.' or 'I'd die for that   
odango head.' Things like that which Haruka means, but not in the way   
that Michiru might mistake it for. Once in awhile, that piercing gaze   
would turn to her and Haruka could feel herself ready to spill her guts   
out on anything that Michiru asked. That was why it was one lucky save   
from Setsuna's part to show up at exactly the right time. What a bad   
pun that was! Setsuna would have her head on a platter if she ever said   
one of 'those' out loud! Come to think of it, Haruka had always thought   
that Setsuna had a talent for walking in at the right time. Of course,   
she refrained from saying that out loud as well. She was getting really   
bad with puns.  
  
"Hey Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama!" Hotaru greeted them happily as   
she planted a kiss on Haruka's cheek and then waved at Michiru as the   
other was out of reach for the moment.  
  
"Komban wa Hotaru-chan." Michiru answered, her gaze shifting to   
their young adoptive daughter with a warmth that came from whatever   
maternal instinct Michiru just had a talent for having, just like every   
other wondrous talent that Michiru had! Haruka felt ashamed that she   
was glad for the distraction that Hotaru created, but at least she   
wasn't going to pretend that she wasn't just a little bit relieved to no   
longer have the threat of spilling out all of her little secrets to   
Michiru at the worst time possible. In the middle of a crisis, "Hey   
hime-chan, do you want some ice-cream?"  
  
Hotaru cheered joyfully. Sometimes that girl reminded Haruka too   
much of their little golden princess, but it shouldn't have been a   
surprise as both are Messiahs of the world, just a little bit on the   
opposite side. So it didn't surprise Haruka much that Hotaru ordered   
vanilla instead of chocolate, Usagi's favorite. Of course, who was   
Haruka to say what Usagi liked best? That girl could eat anything with   
an enthusiasm that should frighten an average human being. To say the   
least, odango's stomach seemed almost bottomless! Pity Mamoru who has   
to buy all the food for that stomach! Haruka chuckled softly at the   
thought as they headed for the counter. "What are you laughing about   
Haruka-papa?" Hotaru asked innocently.  
  
Sometimes, Haruka forgets how observant that girl is! Especially   
now she was reaching the age of adolescence. An age that Haruka wasn't   
particularly looking forward too, especially since she now had to glare   
at a lot of teenage boys to get some points across. "Just a thought   
hime-chan, nothing more."  
  
Obviously unsatisfied, Hotaru opened her mouth to protest and   
demand a proper answer. That never came because in a moment an   
explosion roared to life a block down. Haruka swore as she felt the   
aura of darkness and not just that, the powers of the senshi burned in   
her blood, calling her to battle. "Hotaru, stay here. You know the   
drill." Haruka warned her young daughter as she raced for the door,   
apparently Michiru and Setsuna got to it before her and she ended up   
being last in line when she finally reached the building. Hotaru looked   
after them, violet eyes narrowing slightly in displeasure before she   
slowly started to follow after the hurried blonde.  
  
***  
  
Being a racer, Haruka didn't appreciate the lack of punctuality on   
her part. 'Starting to be like Usagi!' The thought almost sent her   
chuckling again, but didn't quite achieve it this time. The effect was   
interrupted as she had now reached the zone where people were panicking   
and screaming their heads off while running around like headless   
chickens not really getting away from the danger but sure enough,   
getting in her way! Ducking into an alley she quickly transformed into   
Sailor Uranus, which was a plus for her, now that she can leap over tall   
building and headless chickens' heads. What can she say? You have to   
add humor to the job or you'll never survive. Granted, it was a little   
on the sick side to compare would-be victims to headless chickens, but   
hey, she was a sick person with an even sicker mind. No way was she   
changing her humor to be politically correct and actually call the   
panicking crowd, well, a panicking crowd! What's the fun in that?   
Anyway, they should be grateful, she's putting her life and the lives of   
those she loves on the line for these aimlessly stupid "would-be   
victims" after all!  
  
Skip. Skip. Over. Jump. Watch the shoes. Ah, a clear space to   
land. Sailor Neptune saw her coming and gave her an amused glance when   
she found Uranus lightly pouncing on some of the people in the panic-  
stricken crowd, whoever happened to be in her way, of course! Another   
explosion went off behind the aqua-haired senshi, but she didn't even   
blink an eyelash at the force of it. "Ready?" She asked when Uranus   
finally reached her.  
  
"Hai," Uranus saluted with a cocky grin and a wicked wink before   
they headed off toward the building. "Where's Pluto?" Uranus asked as   
they begun to see the battle scene before them a little better.  
  
"She went ahead, it wouldn't be the same if we showed up in battle   
without each other. Anyway, she's waiting for us but wanted to be there   
if things got out of hand before we could reach her." Neptune   
explained, not even winded by the run through the emptier mall. Of   
course, there were also headless chickens who stopped moving at the   
first sight of terror.  
  
"So, we're not starting with speeches today, huh?" Uranus asked   
flashing another wicked grin.  
  
"Afraid not love." Neptune winked back as they finally reached   
the battle scene. How typical? The idiot youma chose the food court!   
"But, I'm sure we can squeeze it in somewhere along the line. As soon   
as we save them."  
  
She grinned at the comment before she saw something in the   
shadows. "Glad to see you made it!" Uranus waved as she saw Sailor   
Senshi Pluto standing but a few feet from them, watching the events   
unfold.  
  
"Glad to be of service!" Pluto replied evenly and with a slight   
smile of her own.   
  
Ah, battles... How she had missed them!  
  
"I see our cue!" Neptune interrupted wisely as they saw Super   
Sailor Moon fall down flat on her butt with a squeal before Tuxedo-Kamen   
swept her out of danger, while the Inners looked as if they had taken a   
beating. The cats were huddled near one overthrown table as they   
watched battle worriedly. Seeing the numbers that the others were now   
facing, it was no surprise this time why they were having a few   
technical difficulties here and there. Not that the enemies were hard   
to kill, just that they were swarming the place! More and more showed   
up out of the shadows even as the senshi battled!  
  
Perfect timing as always! How she loved seeing that relieved look   
on their faces when they came to the rescue, especially the slight shine   
in Sailor Moon's eyes. Or was she just being delusional? Probably the   
latter, "World Shaking!" The powerful energy ball killed at least a   
dozen youma warriors that were ready to pounce on the unsuspecting   
Inners.  
  
Oh yeah, she loved the taste of battle! The silky pink petals   
drifted as Uranus shouted out for their attention the usual way,   
directing the attention away from the weakened position of their   
princess and her guards, giving them a little time to recover their   
breaths. "I am the soldier of the sky, and I carry the protection of   
the planet of the wind," Uranus posed, her space sword hefted on her   
shoulder. "Guardian of the Sky, I am Sailor Uranus."  
  
"I am the soldier of the deep waters, and I carry the protection   
of the planet of the sea, Neptune," Neptune posed beside her, with the   
grace of a dancer while holding her aqua mirror. Who'd have thought   
that she could pack one hell of a punch and enough power to destroy   
anything that dares to stand in her way? "Guardian of the Sea, I am   
Sailor Neptune."  
  
"I, Keeper of the Gates of Time, carry the protection of the   
planet of time, Pluto. I shall not allow you to disrupt what shall be   
in the distant future!" Pluto twirled her staff gracefully as she did   
so. "Guardian of Time, I am Sailor Senshi Pluto."  
  
"We are the Outer Senshi!" They declared.  
  
Somebody muttered "show-offs", could it have been Venus? Uranus   
couldn't be sure so she said nothing, except maybe hurtle another power   
blast at the nearest youma near Super Sailor Moon and Tuxedo-Kamen. A   
dark shadow suddenly appeared next to Jupiter and she opened her mouth   
to cry out a warning. "Jupiter!"  
  
Neptune was already in action, "Deep Submerge!" The shadow was   
whisked away and so did a few dozen that were behind it. Of course, the   
explosion of power rocked Jupiter from her feet and sent her crashing   
down to the floor. Well, better that than being slashed by youma claws   
any day, Uranus thought sympathetically before turning her attention to   
her own battles.  
  
"Dead Scream!" Clean cut as it was, that blow can kill more than   
a dozen if you aim right and Setsuna is a whiz at using her staff by   
now. Granted there are a few cobwebs in her store of knowledge and   
wisdom, but when it comes to the Time Staff, you really don't want to be   
the one on the receiving end of the blow!  
  
Of course, the Inners weren't lazy now that the Outers were here.   
In fact, they seemed to work even harder! Mars had already destroyed   
more than enough with her burning mandela attack, not that she didn't   
favor her bow and arrow, but that wasn't that effective with mass   
destruction, and who's dumb enough to use such a powerful attack when   
you can save your energy and kill off your enemies with the simple ones?   
Jupiter had already gotten to her feet, apparently a girl that has the   
heart that Uranus could relate to any day, the tall brunette was already   
punching holes through youma with an anger that should be terrifying if   
the youma were actually bright enough to know what that word meant. It   
was almost artful, the little piles of ashes that Jupiter was leaving in   
her wake.  
  
Mercury had her whole strategy on computer of course, and was   
crushing her opponents with a glee that was almost insane, well, perhaps   
that was just Uranus's way of seeing the blue-haired senshi's precise   
hits. Sailor Moon and her Tux-boy were swirling and twirling that   
diskette and those roses away -- sometimes the Tux-boy got creative and   
threw a few bolts of power too! Where did that boy find all those   
flowers was beyond Uranus, though, but man, those two made a damn good   
team! Not as good as she and Neptune, of course, since Neptune never   
had a klutz attack during a battle nor did she run from the enemy and   
cower in Uranus' arms, but with Sailor Moon's limited coordination and   
Tux-boy's limited powers, they were doing pretty swell.  
  
What startled Uranus, during her many duets in battle with her   
wonderful partner Neptune -- slaughtering the youma en masse (the damn   
bastards just don't know when to stay dead!) -- was that it was Venus   
who seemed to have a thing to prove in battle with them. It really   
shouldn't have been much of a surprise, as it was with Venus they had   
the face off in the hospital and the girl 'was' leader, though Uranus   
was reluctant to admit the latter. But the anger in those blue eyes and   
the sudden swiftness of movement were startling to see. The girl was   
everywhere and didn't seem to tire in the least. From that expression   
though, Uranus knew, that this was senshi with something to establish.   
That unsettled her greatly, for it was that expression that would get   
the blonde in the kind of trouble that was way over her head to deal   
with!  
  
At least Pluto knew her limits and wasn't rushing to the middle of   
the battle! "What is that baka up to?" She growled when she saw   
exactly where Venus was headed.  
  
The center of darkness was where the youma gathered and merged   
into a dark giant. Fists big enough to crush one of them without much   
effort, and eyes that burned with eerie redness, shining brightly out of   
its darkened sockets as it rose and fell with each clumsy movement. But   
behind those movements was a force that could break every bone in their   
bodies if it caught them and had it not been so slow or so stupid they'd   
all be bloody pulp by now!  
  
"Where she doesn't belong, not alone anyway." Neptune answered   
promptly as they headed in the similar direction. "They're goading   
her!" The aqua-haired senshi suddenly realized abruptly, a mixture of   
surprise and fear shining in her eyes.  
  
Seemingly, Mars realized the same thing as the dark-haired senshi   
immediately began to run toward her golden friend. "This isn't good!"   
Uranus glowered.  
  
"We're too far away!" Uranus immediately understood her lover's   
desperation. They would never reach those two in time and already the   
youma were beginning to mass against a desperate Mars. She looked over   
and saw the glint in Neptune's eyes. She knew what the other was   
thinking and nodded in agreement.  
  
"Deep Submerge!" The force of her attack destroyed more than a   
dozen youma and made a very cleared way for Mars, but only temporarily.   
The girl, of course, was not stupid enough to miss the chance and raced   
to be next to Venus. Now the score was beginning to look even between   
the clumsy giant and the agile but petite Venus and Mars.  
  
Uranus no longer bothered to say her attacks. Instead, she just   
unsheathed her sword and started arcs of energy attacks at the oncoming   
army of youma. "They seem almost endless!"  
  
Of course Mercury disagreed, "No, not endless! Attack the middle   
where Mars and Venus are min'na! The powers are gathered there!   
They're strongest and weakest there!"  
  
Pluto immediately eliminated those closest to her and aimed an   
attack just above the heads of Venus and Mars. No wonder those bastards   
where so intent on luring Venus to the center! They can defeat her   
there! Perhaps Uranus was wrong about Mars being all the backup Venus   
needed. Especially since it was Mars who just got out of the hospital!  
  
"Supreme Thunder!" The lightening arced across the ways and   
struck the center dead on. It was the same time Pluto had released her   
energy ball and Neptune was already sending her powers there. Venus and   
Mars had combined their attacks and shot off at close range and Sailor   
Moon and Tux-boy had their share in the taking. Mercury aimed and   
unleashed the ice.  
  
The demon squealed. Yes, it squealed! So expected of something   
with such weak minions. What a way to go, especially for a last word in   
the end of a pathetic and horrid life. Yeah, same old same old... The   
monster expanded and rose. Its face twisted in menacing laughter,   
horrifying to witness. Its clumsy hands turned into claws of sharp   
black talons and its glowing eyes seemed to crystallize.  
  
Uranus realized than that their victory had been too easy and this   
new turn of events had taken them all off guard. There it was again! A   
spark. That was when Mars fell over and Venus nearly followed with a   
shocked expression on her face, however, the determined adrenaline that   
had kept her up earlier kept her standing now. The energy arc that   
struck down Mars and weakened Venus considerable went unnoticed by all.   
Uranus wasn't paying attention to that right now, nor was Neptune   
because her mirror was out and the aqua senshi was already coming up   
with a plan that they could trust.  
  
"What's going on?" Sailor Moon demanded as the demon reared its   
ugly head in the direction of her voice.  
  
"It's time for beheading." Uranus nodded as she stood next to   
Neptune.  
  
Mercury was frantically typing away at her computer, unsure what   
was going wrong! "Submarine Reflection!" The Mirror sparkled and sent   
out the powers of light, as Neptune got tired of waiting.  
  
The calculation was off by a mere two inches! Uranus aimed   
without waiting for command and hit the spot, but then time suddenly   
seemed to stop as a spasm of pain rocketed through her body. She heard   
a scream next to her. Could it be Neptune? But she wasn't sure if the   
scream was from fear or from pain. When I wake up, I'm going to kick   
the bastard who did this to me! She vowed as she slowly lost   
consciousness. The last thing she heard was a gasp of dismay from the   
direction of the Princess.  
  
"Jupiter!"  
  
Then the power came, "Dead Scream!"  
  
And there was only silence...  
  
Lucky for Uranus, Neptune took the brunt of the attack. She   
missed the monstrous form of the youma disintegrating into ashes because   
of her space sword blast. She also missed the terrified scream that   
Sailor Moon gave as a powerful blow from Pluto slammed Jupiter down to   
the other side of the cafeteria area. Uranus would've been glad to do   
the deed if she had been awake, though the state of her shock at the   
betrayal might have prevented her from doing more than a few flesh   
wounds. Of course, Pluto had no qualms about harming those who endanger   
the future. All the Time Guardian cared about was loyalty or betrayal,   
at least, that's what Uranus had always assumed.  
  
Jupiter stood, much to the surprised dismay of others, and without   
Mars being up to give off an anti-evil scroll, Sailor Moon did the only   
thing she could. She aimed her tiara and trapped Jupiter in its binding   
grip. Jupiter struggled, that deadly light returning to her eyes as the   
tall brunette seemed unaffected by the burning pain of the power of the   
tiara that banded her. Unfortunately for them all, Hiketsu was missing   
from the scene so couldn't exactly restore Jupiter to an unconscious   
state without harming her. Of course, their luck hadn't run out yet,   
since Venus was still standing. And Venus did the only thing she could,   
she 'borrowed' Mars' anti-evil scroll for the second time since she met   
the dark-haired priestess. The power sent Jupiter flying once more down   
the halls of the mall, coming to a stop only after she slammed into the   
tiles of a great arch and the steel structure beneath the tiles dented   
deeply by the force, shivered. The demon rose from the now unconscious   
body of Jupiter, trying desperately to get back to its host that the   
scroll now protected.  
  
Pluto didn't even blink an eye as she slammed another dead scream   
into the dark shadows just as Mercury let loose her own powers of   
destruction, it's almost frightening how those two think so alike!   
Combined with Mercury's Shining Aqua Rhapsody, the deadly attack of   
Pluto, the powers struck its target with a force that would've made the   
toughest Senshi cringe, if she was the bad guy of course. No, Uranus   
wouldn't have liked to miss out on the fun, but she did.  
  
Yet, because of this chain of unfortunate events, it just happened   
that that was the time when Uranus did wake up, since it was Neptune who   
-- being Neptune -- blocked most of the attack willingly for Uranus. "I   
knew you Inners couldn't be trusted!" Uranus muttered just loud enough   
for all of them to hear her silent fury when she reoriented herself and   
realized exactly what had happened. Her perception of things was slowly   
clearing and her anger, cold and clear, sparked as she realized who was   
the betrayer. The sight of the still unconscious Neptune, with her left   
side burned from the earlier attack, only fueled Uranus's rage as she   
staggered next to her lover.  
  
"What are you saying?" Tuxedo-Kamen gasped at last, the first to   
snap from the shock of the accusations laid before them.  
  
"You could've warned us that Jupiter was possessed!" Uranus   
answered heatedly. "It would've saved us all time and energy if she was   
not here to fight. You have endangered everyone's lives by putting her   
here!" Uranus swept her arms around to show the demage, as if to make a   
point that was already obvious. "Especially the princess's!" They   
gasped at this.  
  
"We could not have stopped her from entering battle because she is   
one of us!" Venus struggled to lift herself up from the ground where   
she had fallen beside Mars.  
  
"She is not one of us," Uranus yelled. "She is a demon! She has   
tried to attack all of us in secret!"  
  
Venus raged at this, "She is not a demon!" Her voice echoed.  
  
"She was a traitor and you kept it secret! What did you expect,   
that she would suddenly turn to the light and not tried to slit our   
throats?" Uranus felt her strength return with each word spoken and   
knew the truth that was within them. "What of the princess's safety?"   
Uranus raged but her question silenced them all. "Have you not even   
considered that she is a danger to our princess?" She asked   
incredulously at their guilty expressions.  
  
"Gomen ne, but there wasn't time when you arrived." Luna sighed   
as the dark cat leapt onto a table still standing, trying to console the   
situation. It took much of her courage to break the silence that fell   
over them all.  
  
"It was not something we foresaw as a problem." Artemis added   
weakly beside his partner. The research for a cure to the madness of   
the planet, to the shadow falling over Tokyo was taking a toll on the   
advisors, it was taking a toll on them all. It made them careless, but   
none of them were willing to admit it, yet.  
  
"Then you have failed your duty as a guardian to watch those you   
guard." Uranus knelt shakily and gathered the motionless body of   
Neptune into her arms. Luna was rigid from those words as Artemis   
shrunk back into the shadows in dismay, green eyes dark with emotions as   
he turned away and looked to the shadows. "You have the blood shed here   
in your own hands," she condemned them all. She would not meet the wide   
eyed stare of Super Sailor Moon, or the glare of Sailor Venus, not even   
the surprise in Mercury's eyes as she tried to stiffle her gasp. "Any   
innocent could've died, they could've triumphed over us! All because of   
your stupid sense of loyalty. You have here, by luck, triumphed once.   
Don't expect it to happen again without payment for such carelessness!   
I just hope you guys grow up sometime soon to see that the world isn't   
all light and joy."  
  
The shame seemed to set a deeper hush over the others as the   
tension mounted, "We must go," Pluto broke in at last.  
  
"So, this is the end?" Sailor Moon asked shakily as her hand   
grasped her broach. "Haruka-san, onegai! Forgive us! We meant no   
harm!"  
  
"You, hime-chan, never mean anyone any harm." Uranus said as she   
stumbled on shaky legs with Neptune in her arms before taking surer   
steps away. "But that in itself is dangerous, and that in itself has   
never changed anything!" The tears spelt from those crystal eyes at   
these words that were spoken the softest but hurt her the most.  
  
"Sumimasen," the odangle princess whispered. "...sumimasen..."  
  
Pluto sighed as she looked at the back of her companion and once   
again turned them to the silent group before her, "One day, Serenity,"   
the dark-haired guardian said as she leaned against her staff. "You   
will understand that innocence can sometimes hurt more people than evil   
has ever tried to do. It is a most ignorant sword that sheds the most   
blood in the name of good." Then, Pluto looked to the hidden shadows   
and walked over to the little girl standing there, eyes cold as ice.   
"Come, Hotaru-chan, you should not have witnessed this today."  
  
The darkness left those eyes as Hotaru looked up to the senshi   
before her, "Iie," she said. "This is the last time I will ever see   
them like this again." Pluto looked puzzedly down at the girl but   
already the raven-haired child turned and the woman followed in silent   
contemplation.  
  
"Sumimasen!" Super Sailor Moon struggled out of Tuxedo-Kamen's   
embrace and raced after them. "Gomen ne! I'm sorry! Sumimasen...   
forgive me, sumimasen..." she trailed off as she fell behind and landed   
on her knees, pounding the floor beneath her in her helplessness.   
Already the Outers has disappeared, as if ghosts of a distant past, but   
the memories of their words lingered in her mind.  
  
'The betrayer is here.' Sailor Moon grimaced at another memory   
that suddenly surfaced. Tuxedo-Kamen reached her and then, silently   
wrapped his cloak about her, tightening his arms around her as her   
laboured breathing turned into a sob. She could not drive the words   
away!  
  
"Daijoubu-yo?" He asked but she did not hear him as she struggled   
within with her own dark thoughts. Was this what Rei had meant by the   
betrayer? The question went round and round in her mind.  
  
The odango-blonde leader shuddered at the doubts, finally   
succeeding in pushing them away for but a moment. She'd think about it   
later, she reasoned, when she no longer felt the pain of loss. The   
knowledge that the Outers had broken the alliance and had left her   
willingly again, occupied her heart like a shadow over the day that   
turned too suddenly into night.  
  
Yet, doubt lay beneath the pain and loss, waiting. It was waiting   
for the day it will resurface again. The day when the questions will   
not be laid to rest until it was answered. The day of truth that was   
approaching slowly towards them all.  
  
  
Somewhere in the heart of Tokyo, a shadow stirred...  
  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
  
A tribute to...   
A. L. a Campo (my editor)  
His Lordship Chaos,  
Ken Wolfe, &  
Angus MacSpon.  
  
And everyone who had helped & encouraged  
me during my trials and my errors ^-^;;  
  
Thank you for every dream and every  
inspiration...  
  
Thank you for everything.  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com 


	4. The Fourth Sheep Named Secrets

A Note to the Readers: All contents in this story is under an artistic license.   
Fact and fiction will be clomped together into one huge blob. In other words,   
don't bother me about debating whether some conversations in this fanfic is truly   
based on fact... as Naoko Takeuchi has done many times. Truth, after all, is an   
elusive thing! ^-~. Enjoy!  
  
When All the Good Angels Sleep  
******************************  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
"No te engano la primavera"Did spring never deceive you  
con besos que no florecieron?"with kisses that didn't blossom?"  
  
--Pablo Neruda  
("The Book Of Questions")  
  
  
"And I looked, and behold a pale horse:   
and his name that sat on him was Death."  
  
--Bible: New Testament  
(Revelation 6:8)   
  
  
The Fourth Sheep Named Secrets  
------------------------------  
  
"We may draw good out of evil;   
we must not do evil, that good may come."  
  
--Maria Weston Chapman  
("How Can I Help to Abolish Slavery")  
  
"Whatever secret the past holds over you,  
it will not last unless you allow it to  
last. It will not thrive unless you allow  
it to thrive. It will not die unless you  
leave it where it should be; in the past.  
For beware of being too fond of your own  
memories. They just might decide to rise  
again, on the powers of your faith alone,  
and destroy you in your wake. That is why  
the past is always best left a secret. Yet,  
there are exceptions to every rule, for some  
wounds will be better off revealed and healed  
before they have the chance to fester and kill  
its owner. Do what you must, but remember my  
Queen. The past has no hold on you unless you   
give it right to and cannot control you,   
unless you allow it to flourish in your   
bitterness."  
  
--Sailor Senshi Pluto  
("Letters to the Queen")  
  
  
She opened her mouth to scream. This wasn't a dream, it was a nightmare!   
Nothing came and then suddenly, "Min'na!" The lights flooded her, hurting her   
eyes, but she was glad, glad of the absence of the darkness. Yet, she was still   
alone. Her silver hair brushed against the ground. Her breaths continued to come   
out in puffs of white. The snow whirled, pulling at the gossamer gown that hugged   
her form. She looked down startled, seeing that she was wearing her princess   
gown. Only, it was tattered and ripped, the edges rimmed in red. Red as blood.  
  
Thump.  
  
Blood.  
  
Thump, thump.  
  
Not her blood.  
  
***  
  
If someone had told Fuma that he would be stuck in a cop's job and would end   
up being the surveillance camera to a blue-haired wonder-girl a year ago, he   
would've looked at this someone as if he had lost too many brain-cells or had too   
many beers! The great Kuragari Fuma watching the actions of a brainy human girl?   
He had better things to do. Especially since he was known for his shadowy   
espionage at some of the worst situations in politics and in war. And then to   
sink so low as to end up spying on a girl?! What a joke! Of course, it was no   
joke and at this moment Fuma did get stuck with it, even if he was getting   
impatient with the results of this little 'investigation'. Just because bashful   
Core couldn't get the nerve to ask the girl out didn't mean he had to keep an eye   
out for her so that others didn't get the chance! Not that Core had much   
competition, except for that Chiba Mamoru she kept seeing. Of course, when Fuma   
checked up on the guy, he was even more surprised! The ebony-haired man had been   
going out with one of Mizuno Ami's best friends for at least two or three years!   
Not just that, but also the time they started dating and the age difference...  
  
If Fuma didn't know any better he'd call this guy a hentai-ecchi! But Fuma   
watched and analyzed and kept his opinions to himself. What surprised him was   
exactly how straight laced this Chiba Mamoru was! Dating a juvenile, yes, but   
this guy had a face carved out of stone and seemingly a heart too. Until Fuma saw   
Mamoru with his young juvenile girlfriend, Tuskino Usagi, a girl with the grades   
of twelve year old stuck in high school. Yet, somehow she got a boyfriend and   
best friend who's IQs were well above average. How did these people ever find   
anything in common was beyond Fuma! Yet it interested him greatly that a man like   
Chiba Mamoru, who had a history of being a loner and overachiever like Mizuno Ami,   
would melt like butter at the smile of his girlfriend. What men do when they're   
in love... Fuma shuddered at the thought.  
  
So lost in his own thoughts while spying on the blue-haired girl before him,   
he was unaware of someone else spying on 'him'. "Excuse me?" A voice interrupted   
him.  
  
The first thought that entered his mind was, 'heavy British accent, a ting   
of Japanese, and a voice that was made to sing!' He turned with his best smile.   
Babe! "Konichiwa!"  
  
Blonde, blue-eyed babe! Fuma wrote off with a grin and bowed. Ah, yes, I   
love this job! The babe before him blinked in surprise, probably because she   
didn't realize he could speak Japanese. If Core were here, he'd scold him for   
calling the girl a babe, but she 'was'! Always 'female' for conservative Core!   
One day, just one day, Fuma would like to see that boy loosen up and fall for a   
girl. Well, that's what challenges were for after all! "My name's Kuragari   
Fuma." He told her. Her looks belied her age, sort of. And now Fuma was   
beginning to see his old assessment of Chiba Mamoru backfire onto him. Well, he   
never admitted that he 'wasn't' a hentai-ecchi, now did he? Fuma's grin turned   
boyish at his somewhat darker thoughts. Okay, okay, so he hadn't been in contact   
with the female species since the last decade, but that didn't make him into   
another Core, did it? He certainly hoped not!  
  
"Kuragari Fuma?" The girl had a pensive look in her eyes and then it was   
gone. A bright smile lit her face as she extended her hand to him. "My name's   
Aino Minako." Nope. He was wrong. When a girl smiled like that, she looked   
exactly her age!  
  
"Ah! A child of love. Interesting." He said. Flashing his teeth in a   
show of amicability, he took her offered hand. Sending a signal to her brain that   
he had already shaken it before letting go. Her smile never wavered, didn't even   
blink. Nobody knew the difference except for Core of course, but then, you   
couldn't get past that guy's defense-systems with something as simple as an   
electric signal. Hell, the guy hardly even uses his body! Just like Fuma. Man,   
that guy was like a brother to him! He couldn't help the inward smirk at 'that'   
comment.  
  
Was it just him or did her eyes almost sparkle like stars? That was   
strange. He never noticed that he had this effect on women before. But who was   
he kidding? This was merely a girl, and she probably fell for every other guy   
under the sun, if he had a cute face and a cuter smile that is. Sighing inwardly   
he prepared himself for the worst. The clingy part, "You know the meaning of my   
name?" Minako was flattered and impressed, her smile brightening even more than   
before. Fuma had never thought that people could have a smile that bright, much   
less brighter! Its effect was almost frightening, since she seemed to practically   
glow. Was she a machine too? He could do something like that on a good day.   
Glow like a light bulb that is, or brighter if he felt like it. But she was   
human... right? Well, if she was another machine, then she definitely had   
potential to be an actual girlfriend, that or a potential rival...  
  
Searching through her files in his head in the blink of an eye and learning   
all of the technical little likes and dislikes, he immediately found that she had   
been friends with Mizuno Ami for sometime now. He was, also, somewhat relieved to   
find that an internal scan showed him that she was very human and very female.   
His grin widened at that. Yeah, he was definitely a hentai on a good day, but   
only for today though... it sucked being an old-hentai hologram sometimes.  
  
Since his virtual body didn't permit any physical embarrassment or any true   
physical emotions in the first place, he was as safe as pie. Deciding firmly to   
take his thoughts off of that track, Fuma turned his attention once more to what   
had brought him here in the first place. That's great for Fuma's part, for it was   
at that moment that he decided to wonder if the cute blue-haired girl had any more   
cute friends like Minako. "Well, I've lived here all my life you know?"  
  
That sent her into a fit of nervous giggles, a deep blush appearing on her   
cheeks. "Silly me, I keep thinking you're from somewhere foreign and exotic!"  
  
He smiled, warmly. Don't want to be condescending, girls never like that in   
a guy. "Well, I do travel a lot. You got that part right."  
  
She seemed relieved to be let off the hook, what did she think he'd do?   
Laugh at her? Most boys would probably be too intimidated to even talk to her,   
she might have expected him to stutter just like all those idiots walking around   
in Tokyo now! He was way out of her age range though, but hey, you really don't   
age when you're half-machine and you live your days out as a hologram picture.   
Nothing changes much unless you wanted it to, and frankly he didn't, he liked the   
way he'd been looking in the last few decades. "So, where's your girlfriend?"   
She interrupted his thoughts and brought him back to reality, literally!  
  
He raised a brow slightly in surprise. Aren't we a bold one? "I don't have   
one." He couldn't quite decide if the expression on her face was rapture that he   
was single or giddiness now that she had a new victim to prey upon. He also   
wasn't sure if he should be wary of the look or not. It wasn't like he was going   
to be deceitful about it, not that you can get many dates if you weren't fully   
human, no matter how good you may look in the mirror. Hell, he couldn't even look   
in one of those! If he wanted to know what he looked like, he'd have to pull up   
an old file with an even older picture.  
  
"Oh!" She opened her mouth in a little 'o' and tried to hide her big grin,   
failing miserably at that too. "You didn't just get dumped did you?" She asked   
again, this time he could almost see the little wheels turning in her head.  
  
Cautious little thing, aren't we? "No. Actually, I haven't been dating for   
a while, either." Truth, again! Again, the little stars came into her eyes,   
though this time, he was sure he saw hearts floating around her head as well.  
  
"Why?" That surprised him. Must have been giving himself an ego-trip,   
again. Happens when you're still partially human, especially when girls gawk at   
you once in a while when you walk down the street.  
  
Laughing the question off, he tried the 'I-usually-don't-have-time-for-that-  
sort-of-thing' signal, "I just haven't been dating," he replied.  
  
"You don't prefer...other men...do you?" She asked hesitantly.  
  
Surprised once more, he looked around the park. Let's make this a little   
fun, "Actually..." he watched in amusement as all the little dreams crashed to   
pieces at her feet as a blush hit her face with full force. "I don't."  
  
"Na ni?!" She yelped out in surprise when he let out his delayed answer.  
  
"What?" He asked, acting surprised at her response.  
  
"You didn't have to make me think that--" she cut herself off this time and   
blushed again.  
  
So, she wasn't as bold as she would like to be. Now, the question arises,   
to push or not to push? "Think what?" To push. He tried his best to look   
innocent.  
  
"Urr...that...ummm...that you were...you know..." Minako stuttered.  
  
Well, now he can be the rescuer of this little charade and she'll introduce   
him to her friend right away. "What? Do I really look like an ecchi stalker with   
no life?" He put on his most innocent smile as a cynical little laugh went off in   
his head as he saw her flounder. 3, 2, 1...  
  
"No! I think you're cute!" Ding! Full pledge blush spread across the face   
of the blonde as she blurted out what she had been thinking when she first spot   
him standing alone. The silver lenses he wore flashed back at her and he had a   
wonderful smile that could just make her melt! Thank the gods Makoto wasn't here,   
or else she'd be saying how much he looked like her old boyfriend and she would   
never have gotten the chance to talk to him! On the other hand, Fuma kept on   
smiling at her as if he didn't mind her outburst. He must get this all the time!   
Minako thought enviously.  
  
Fuma on the other hand was having thoughts not in the direction that Minako   
might have anticipated... 'Core! If you were half the god you claim to be, then I   
sure hope that you're the one who created women cause I love the way they work!'   
He grinned. "Great, then you wouldn't mind introducing me to your friend now   
would you?" Real smooth there, buddy! Shattered dreams lay at Minako's feet.   
Time for the winner! "After that, would you like to go to dinner tomorrow or   
something? For all your troubles, that is." Smile boy! He flashed her a   
'boyish' grin and tried to act like a teenager again.  
  
She brightened in a way that 'was' scary. Nodding enthusiastically, she   
grabbed his arm -- yes, his sensors were working in perfect order -- and half   
dragged him to where Ami stood. "Hey Ami-chan!" Minako called out. The pretty   
blue-haired girl looked up startled at the blonde's approach. Yep, this is a   
great job! Surprisingly, Core actually had pretty good taste in his 'females'.   
From what her file said about her, she seemed to be actually a match for the   
little demi-god of the computer underworld.  
  
"Hey Minako-chan!" Ami replied with a soft smile. Blue eyes immediately   
drifted to his direction and blushed when he grinned back. Yeah, definitely   
Core's girl. They're both so tense, if not somewhat dense in the relationship   
department, even if they were geniuses in the others. "Hello..." she said softly   
in his direction, though she still didn't know his name.  
  
He extended his hand this time, "Please to meet you Ami, it's Ami, isn't   
it?" She seemed somewhat startled, blushing even more under his attention. Yeah,   
his looks weren't too rusty yet. "Kuragari Fuma, Minako-chan's Monday night   
date." He rested an arm around the shoulders of the beaming blonde who was not   
blushing, as she was smiling. Women, as much as they were predictable, could   
never be understood. It especially puzzled him on how they worked it out in their   
mind to do the things they did.  
  
Ami's face turned bright red at his bold words. She must not hear those   
words much. Must be because of all those Tokyo boys, too aggressive or no spunk   
at all! Fuma wrote it down as a few things to remember, like, Ami's dislike for   
personal information and exactly how easy it was to get her emotionally wound up   
like a clock. Yeah, just like Core, they're perfect for each other! The little   
wheels in Fuma's head began to turn. What snapped him out of it was Minako's   
sudden act of wrapping an arm around his waist. Wow! Women had never done that   
to him before, not since he had been semi-comatose and put into a tank with half   
of his organs gone! Fuma was definitely having a good day. "Don't get too   
hopeful now," Minako winked. "After all, you know what they say about hope?"  
  
"What?" Fuma asked with an amused smile.  
  
"Hope is a thing with a lot of thorns, and if you're lucky, you won't get   
pricked!" Fuma blinked. He wasn't sure if he ever heard 'that' one before. Yet,   
Minako had said it with such conviction, as if she had heard it a thousand times   
before--  
  
Ami groaned, "Minako-chan!" The other apparently didn't even have the   
strength that day to correct the blonde.  
  
Suddenly, something else startled him out of his cheerful thoughts. A   
feeling really -- if he still had those! Because Minako had seemed familiar when   
he first saw her. So did Chiba Mamoru's girlfriend, Tuskino Usagi. This girl,   
Mizuno Ami was also familiar. He searched his data file for the information he   
had gathered in the last few years and then suddenly it hit him. He had to keep   
himself from gasping out loud and hitting his head on the concrete for being a   
true baka. Not that that would help much, especially since he wouldn't have felt   
the pain of the contact between concrete and his head. At best, a part of his   
body would fall through the cement and he'd look like an ostrich with his... Now   
he was getting distracted. "You seemed familiar, so I had to ask Minako to   
introduce us." He lied. Returning to the topic at hand. And it was just a   
little white lie in the end! Nobody's going to get hurt by it!  
  
Anyway, she and Minako did seem familiar to him. Especially since he had   
seen their picture with those missing women only a few days ago.  
  
"Oh?" Ami asked surprised.  
  
"Yeah, I was walking by a shop the other day and there were these four   
women. They were all very different but claimed that they were sisters. They   
were running a little antique and beauty shop somewhere a little off downtown   
Juuban. They had a photo of you guys with them and I saw it." Not that much of a   
lie, most of it was true. He sure hoped they wouldn't ask him why he was there in   
the first place! How was he to explain what he was doing in an antique and beauty   
shop?  
  
Shopping for his grandmother was just too lame an excuse and he already told   
Minako he didn't have a girlfriend. Anyway, if he said he had a little sister,   
then she'd probably want to meet the imaginary girl, and 'that' would be stupid!   
"Really? Do you know their names?" Minako asked, slightly surprised. There   
seems to be an angel watching over him today and covering the wide questionable   
trail he's leaving in his wake!  
  
"Yeah, I remember one of them, had green-hair held back in a bun." Scanning   
his memory storage he called up her file again, "Called herself, Petz."  
  
"Petz?" Ami gasped surprised. "You mean Ayakashi Petz?"  
  
Minako looked thoughtful for a moment, her eyes slightly sad. "I didn't   
realize that they still kept that picture." She murmured to herself.  
  
Fuma smiled innocently. "You know them? They seemed nice enough." He   
shrugged. It's easy to act startled when you're no longer one-hundred percent   
human.  
  
Minako looked to him, and smiled. Her eyes bright and trusting, "Yes, we   
do. They're friends of ours who we haven't spoken to in years. The communication   
just died between us, but I'm glad that they still think of us." There was   
something sad and wistful about the way she said it, even though she didn't look   
too sorrowful about it. Or, did she not wish for him to see her sadness?  
  
"It's been awhile since I talked to them." Ami mused as she brushed back a   
stray strand of blue-hair. A sad smile on her face as she thought back to her   
earlier days as a senshi. "I didn't think I'd miss them, but I do."  
  
Fuma grimaced, it was going to be hard to break the news to them, but they   
'd find out sooner or later. "Sorry ladies, but apparently their shop blew up   
after I had left." Both girls gasped and looked horrified at him. "But no one   
was there, so no one was injured..." he quickly added, which brought some relief   
to their faces.  
  
"Yes, I heard about that explosion near down town Juuban, I had forgotten   
that they had set up their shop there." Ami sighed with guilt still heavy on her   
heart.  
  
Fuma looked to his watch and frowned. There was still time for   
investigation at the Diet Building. He had heard of that upstart politician that   
was starting to get disturbing. Right now, he needed to get to the building and   
listen to some gossip. He bowed to the small blue-haired girl. "It's very nice   
to have finally met you Mizuno Ami-san, but I must leave you two lovely ladies for   
now. I have an errand that I must see to." He bowed to Minako, as both girls   
returned the gesture politely. Minako was smiling brightly at him, though at   
little disappointed by his sudden need to depart.  
  
"I'll see you later!" It was a question more than a statement.  
  
"I'll pick you up tomorrow." Fuma nodded with a grin and then winked to the   
blushing Ami. "Good day girls!" And he was off to do some spying, something that   
he was made to do. Not that he minded watching over cute girls, but he was made   
for spying on the enemy and he didn't want to waste his talents! Not even Core   
could make him watch over them 24/7, especially when it was time to snoop and   
there were people to eavesdrop on.  
  
Anyway, it wasn't everyday you get to be a bug. And the best thing about   
the job? Nobody could squash him, even if they walked all over him! Yep, it was   
a great day! Met the girl, or girls in this case, played cop, acted like a spy   
and morphed into a bug. Nothing can beat this day except a really nice day on a   
Bahama beach with the sun beating down onto your back...  
  
Better not go reminisce about things that one can no longer have, Fuma   
decided. Just going to mark this day as really good and then hitch it all the way   
up to sabotage by spying on a few big guys. If all goes well, Fujimia Doko will   
turn out to be an interesting guy who wouldn't have too interesting an agenda.   
Hopefully. But you know what they say, 'Hope is a thing with a lot of thorns, and   
if you're lucky you won't get pricked!' Well, at least Minako would put it in   
that perspective, and hey, maybe if he's hopeful enough, she won't prick them all   
with another bad quote!  
  
***  
  
Fujimia Doko sat patiently at his black desk. His eyes were closed and   
though he seemed almost sleeping, he wasn't. All his senses were out searching   
for the darkness that wrapped its tendrils around his dark soul and drew him. The   
telephone rang and pulled him out of his search. Looking slightly annoyed, he   
picked up the phone and held it loosely in his hand. "Yes?" He asked in a smooth   
and polished voice.  
  
If Fujimia Doko ever learned that he had half the talent for politics that   
he didn't use, he would've kissed himself. Only, now that the demon used all of   
those little talents that Doko himself hadn't known about, with Doko's own death   
inside his own body, nobody was really cheering about the use of talent in this   
little political game. "Fujimia-san, there's a Hino-san here who's requested to   
see you." He nodded with a smile. Right on time Hino!  
  
The door opened to reveal a tall man with a shock of blond hair and a   
mustache. Seemed the type that would be popular with the girls, but his eyes were   
cold and he gave off an air of confidence and arrogance. "Fujimia, I heard you're   
the new player in town." Hino said, not even bothering to take the extended hand   
that was offered by Doko. He wasn't the least bit frizzled by this act of   
snobbery. True-demons don't really care who's the snob, just about who has the   
power. It didn't alter his plans the least and having Hino here was all the   
effect that he wanted.  
  
"You flatter me Hino-san, but I'm not really a new player at all, I have   
just been hiding in the shadows. Waiting for the right time so to speak." Hino   
twitched a smirk at him, but it was forced even if it didn't seem like it. Yes,   
this man would've been very useful, but his track record was already too public.   
Too many people knew him. It would've been harder to possess such a man anyway.  
  
"Ah! An old player waiting for his aces! Any other tricks up your   
sleeve?" Hino smiled at him coldly. So, the old man knows that Doko was a rival   
did he? Time to establish who's the boss around here.  
  
"Actually," Doko's smile turned dark. The color of his eyes darkened to   
blackness as well. Hino rose with a growl at his throat. So, this man had a bit   
of a talent at sensing evil presence, a small psychic. Interesting, but an   
unimportant factor in Doko's plan. "I have several tricks that no one knows about   
and never shall." The knowledge seemed to strike home at that moment as those   
strange blue-violet eyes widened, a scream beginning to rise from the other's   
throat. He didn't even blink as the dark shadow rose from him and struck with the   
speed of a cobra, strangling and swallowing the life energy of the man at the same   
time. The psychic was more hidden than a small force, and it was sweet to the   
dark and hungry jaws, gaping toward the soul, swallowing the sweet nectar of power   
and life.  
  
Hino gasped his last, his body racked with spasms before slumping onto the   
floor. "Goodnight, sweet rival," Doko muttered with a smile. Hino rose from the   
floor, nodded to him and walked to the door. He exited the building with a dazed   
and empty look on his face. By midnight that night, Hino fell over on his way to   
bed and they pronounced him dead on the spot. Doko expressed his sympathies, and   
though no one spoke of what had happened the night before, many would swear later   
on that Hino walked out of the office with a somewhat peaceful smile on his face,   
as if the burdens of the world had fallen from his shoulders.  
  
Some would later claim that Hino was poisoned. He was too young to just   
fall over and die like that! But no one questioned Doko, for he had his   
witnesses. No one saw any fights and they all claimed that Hino seemed happier   
than he ever did when he walked out of the office. Some of his more bitter rivals   
were shot down, so naturally, Doko rose on top. And the national elections were   
coming up soon and Doko couldn't wait until he was at the very top of the   
corporate ladder. After all, his job was to get into the position of ruling the   
world, and so far, only Japan wasn't half dying from some mad disease spread   
elsewhere on this little planet Earth.  
  
Doko smiled and licked his lips at the delicious after taste of a worthy   
human opponent, Hino.  
  
***  
  
Rei gasped out loud, clutching her chest. Her eyes flew to the fire, and   
saw a man she hadn't spoken to in more than a decade, melt into the darkness and   
disappear into the fire's embrace. "Hino-san." Her only acknowledgement of ever   
knowing him. Yet, there were still tears in her eyes that blurred her vision, and   
when she blinked, some escaped, trailing down her cheeks and some even fell onto   
her red kimono. "Father." When was the last time she dared call him by that   
name? The same name that would bring even more painful memories. Kagemi Kaidou   
flashed before her inner mind, broken and blurry pictures of her deceased mother   
passed and vanished into the mist of her memories, pain came and stayed within her   
heart.  
  
It had been a very bad week. First the Outers and Inners split once more   
into factions and now this! Her own father, dead! Without her being able to even   
utter a word to object. It was hopeless. She felt helpless and unable to control   
the events that had been happening. That frightened her, more than she was   
willing to admit.  
  
"Sayonara, otou-san." If there was an answer to her pain, she didn't hear   
it.  
  
The door of the fire room slid open, surprising her. She turned. Strands   
of midnight-purple hair swirled and passed through the flames unharmed. "Why are   
you crying Rei-chan?" Her onyx eyes widened, a deep color with the light of the   
fire behind her and the darkness of shadow that should've masked her expression.  
  
"Hiketsu, I didn't realize you were here." She replied startled, trying to   
change the topic.  
  
"I was visiting when I felt a strange aura and came to check on you. The   
last time it happened, you burnt your hand." She clutched her still loosely   
bandaged hand into a fist unconsciously.  
  
She looked away, "So you know?"  
  
"It would be best if you could clarify to me what I felt." He answered   
bluntly.  
  
She turned back to him, and for the first time in a long time, she saw   
Hiketsu, not Hiketsu her childhood friend or even Hiketsu, the brother of the   
first man she ever loved. There was much of his brother in his face. The same   
blond hair, only his was a little more tousled and darker. The same blue eyes,   
only his were of a deeper blue and held a controlled wildness that she could not   
identify. The same chiseled cheekbones, though his chin was a little more   
stubborn. "Father's dead."  
  
They both knew whom she meant. "But it was my brother you were   
remembering." He answered evenly.  
  
If she gasped, she didn't realize she was doing it until it had parted from   
her lips. The smile though soon followed, "It's strange how you know so much yet   
so little."  
  
"Ironic how that works for both of us, if not for all those who ever   
lived." He answered evenly.  
  
"I was just remembering--"  
  
"His hair, his eyes, and his beautiful smile?" Hiketsu asked with a   
slightly irked smile of his own. She laughed at his predictions, though he did   
get the last part wrong, he had all the other parts down pat. Though, she was   
glad he didn't realize that she was comparing him to his older brother. Another   
thought soon disturbed her in the short silence that ensued, but that thought   
didn't get to continue long. "You were probably thinking how I would never match   
up to the great Kaidou-san." Hiketsu finally said in a soft and dangerous voice.  
  
The comment surprised her. She had never thought Hiketsu would be the   
jealous type, and even the thought that he had changed into a jealous type didn't   
fit his image either. He pushed himself upright from his slouch against the   
sliding door, uncrossing his long legs. When did he get so tall? She wondered in   
surprise. When did he become so handsome? She blinked again. The earlier   
thought that she had squashed was returning. "No, I wasn't thinking that." She   
finally said, unwilling to allow her mind to wander in directions that were   
forbidden for her to think of. She didn't like boys remember? At least, that's   
what she told Usagi so very long ago, and it was a lie then too. She was only   
interested in one man and he had left her for someone else.  
  
Hiketsu smiled warmly at her, a smile that startled her. Not because she   
had never seen him smile, but it was the first time she had to keep herself from   
reacting to it. The charm must run in the family, she thought wearily. "What   
happened Rei-chan?" His voice rolled over her like a soft whispered caress,   
though in the form of a question that she was unwilling to answer. She forced her   
gaze to turn to the night sky outside, the small parts that she could catch   
glimpses of from the bottom part of the sheltering roof that lined the outer   
hallway. The crickets chirped and the tip of the moon was just visible--  
  
The door was slid shut so suddenly that she nearly jumped from where she   
sat. Hiketsu turned his grin to her as he leaned against the closed door. "Rei-  
chan, why are you ignoring me?" He asked softly and she looked away. Glad of the   
shadows made by the fire-dance, glad of the heat that the fire gave, because now   
he would not see the blush on her cheeks and think that it was because of his   
presence.  
  
"I'm not." She lied.  
  
He frowned at this, "Rei-chan..." if that man called her name like that one   
more time she would scream in frustration! Years of training forced her to grab   
that emotional turmoil and the frustrated thoughts, stuffing them all down to the   
deepest regions of her mind where she could review them later or ignore them   
completely, whichever course she chose once she got her emotions under control.  
  
"I'm just worried now that Hino-san's dead." Great save Rei! That's what   
Minako would call it. "I don't know how I will tell the others. They would feel   
pity and I do not wish them to feel an emotion that I do not feel nor deserve."   
He walked over beside her and knelt down next to her. His proximity was dizzying   
and just a little bit scary. She rose quickly, almost too quickly because then   
she realized her mistake. His hand snaked out and held her wrist. The contact   
startled her. He hadn't really touched her since he woke her that day in the   
hospital. They hadn't even had a chance to speak after that. Except the part   
where he woke Usagi, Ami and herself from their sleep. Actually just Usagi and   
Ami since they let her sleep a little more while he drove each of them home.   
Grandfather later told her that her childhood friend had carried her up all one   
hundred and one steps to the temple grounds and handed her over to him. 'A very   
respectable young man!' her ojii-san had commented with enthusiasm and a twinkle   
in his eyes. 'Reminds me of that Kaidou-san that used to come here though.' She   
nearly choked on that one, tending to forget exactly how observant her ojii-san   
could be. 'His brother actually.' She had informed him softly. Her grandfather   
thought this over and soon was grinning as if he knew something that she didn't   
and after that, he didn't speak much of Hiketsu or of his visit to the temple.   
Not once. "I- The others will be here soon." She said, though this time she   
wasn't lying.  
  
"Will you not stay a little longer with me Rei-chan?" He asked her softly.   
Those blue eyes looked up at her before he too rose. He towered over her, almost   
as tall as Kaidou...  
  
"Hiketsu--" she began but his eyes darkened slightly.  
  
"You're thinking of him again. Is that all you see in me Rei-chan? Is he   
all that you can think about?" He was mad, and she wasn't sure why. If she had   
known, she might not have wanted to acknowledge it. Her heartbeat accelerated in   
her chest and she tried to back away, but his hand against her wrist tightened and   
she knew he was warning her silently not to move. "For once, answer my question   
and try not to lie." He warned her darkly.  
  
Her eyes widened slightly and she tried to think of something to say. "I--   
I--" she couldn't tell him what she thought because she didn't know herself, so   
she looked away and said nothing. Fearing her eyes would give away her   
vulnerability and her own anger at her indecision.  
  
"So, I'm repulsive to your eyes now, is that it?" He let go of her hand as   
she widened her eyes.  
  
How did they ever become so distant? She never thought that time and space   
could change how two people, who had once been friends through childhood years,   
could suddenly find themselves so different. How could he be so... passionate   
about something that she was unsure of herself? He turned to go, and frantically   
she reached out for him, catching his arm. "Hiketsu, you were never repulsive to   
me! I-- I just don't know what I feel at this moment. Please, I need to think it   
through and-- I feel so confused and--"  
  
He turned to her slowly and his eyes stopped her from saying more. "Yes,   
Gomen. I was being overly dramatic about nothing." His smiled reassuringly   
though it did not reach his deep blue eyes.  
  
"No, you're right. It was wrong of me to compare you to your brother." She   
saw the muscles of his jaws clench slightly. Oh, why was she always such a baka   
when it came to dealing with men? Why did she say that just now? Did she really   
mean it? Minako was better at this than she was, the blonde was the charmer, Rei   
rather stayed silent and let Minako do all the talking. Yet, Minako couldn't be   
here to talk her out of this one, especially since this was Rei's problem and not   
the blonde's.  
  
"Oh," he said softly and clenched his jaws together again. "You can let go   
of my arm now, Rei-chan."  
  
She blushed, but she didn't let go. She knew that telling the truth, and   
making the mistake of doing what he asked when he was angry and hurt, were two   
different things. Especially since she was the cause of his anger and hurt.   
"Hiketsu, please understand that I didn't mean it like that!" She stepped closer,   
a truly desperate move on her part to let him understand. It's hard trying to   
convince someone of something that you have trouble with working out in the first   
place, especially when you just discovered that your father, whom you supposedly   
never loved, had just died from something dark and frightening...  
  
No. She would not think of Hino-san now. Hiketsu was here. He mattered   
more.  
  
His breathing quickened, she wasn't sure why. Later, she would realize   
exactly how much of a baka she truly was when it came to men. He reached her   
cheek, still stained slightly from her earlier tears, and opened his mouth to say   
something. Instead he leaned closer, their noses almost touched and his blue eyes   
burned into hers. Surprised by his actions, she froze. Remembering the first   
kiss she shared with Kaidou, and now, his brother was-- "Gomen." His warm hand   
left her cheek as he stepped away from her. The door slid open and then silently   
closed, the floorboards creaked at places under his weight as he left her.  
  
She stood there alone. Trying to figure out what had gone wrong, more   
importantly what had gone on in the time that passed between them. She needed to   
talk to Minako, but then what would she say? She couldn't exactly just go up to   
her blonde friend and tell her that her childhood friend, who looked like his   
elder brother -- who was her first love -- was acting strange and that she had a   
peculiar feeling that he almost kissed her in the fire room! If she were Minako   
now, she'd probably be jumping up and down in frustration and baring her teeth in   
anger at missing the chance of kissing someone as handsome as Hiketsu. Or better   
yet, Minako would probably be kissing him right now! Rei sighed in frustration.   
Of all the things to be bad at, understanding the opposite sex was one of her   
worst subjects. Before, she never even felt the tiniest bit interested until now,   
well not exactly interested, more like curious... but she wished that she at least   
knew something! Some small hint on what had happened in that room and how that   
chain of events occurred, or even, how it started in the first place!  
  
She sighed again, this time in defeat. The others would be arriving soon,   
and she needed to make some tea. The cupcakes she had baked earlier could now be   
served and no longer would she have to deal with Usagi complaining about a lack of   
food, and she was sure Makoto would bring something as well, since the brunette   
almost always did. She opened the door and then closed it behind her. She turned   
and opened her mouth in surprise when she saw that he hadn't left yet. Instead,   
Hiketsu was but a few feet away, head in his hand before turning to look at her.   
Those blue eyes burned at her appearance and he looked, for a moment, as if he   
would approach her. Instead he bowed to her stiffly and turned to leave.   
"Hiketsu!" She called out, though not quite sure what she wanted to say.  
  
"Yes?" He turned expectantly to her, his eyes slightly colder now than   
before.  
  
A silence fell between them before she finally found a way to answer his   
question. "Will you stay for the meeting? Mako-chan might need you." She   
quickly added. Why didn't she want him to leave? He should. She needed time to   
think after all. Why was she making so many excuses?  
  
He looked ready to say no but then changed his mind. "Alright. I'll meet   
your friends now that they're all conscious," he agreed, nodding his head slowly.   
Apparently he was willing to forget her momentary outburst. She was glad that   
they were both avoiding another uncomfortable confrontation for now.  
  
"Good," she turned and headed for the kitchen, unwilling to show how   
relieved she was at his answer.  
  
"Where are you going?" He asked surprised after catching up with her. She   
didn't really want him so near, not when she needed time to think about what had   
gone on between them. But she didn't want him to leave either, which was   
confusing her to no end!  
  
"To the kitchen to prepare tea and bring out the muffins. Usagi-chan has a   
bottomless pit, called her stomach, which you will have the pleasure of witnessing   
as soon as she arrives late, as usual! And the others, myself included, always   
enjoy tea." She explained. Thinking about Usagi though cleared her mind a bit   
and she was glad of the distraction.  
  
"Well, then, I can help!" Hiketsu said cheerfully. Perhaps, it is his way   
of making amends for what had been said in the fire room. Rei could not complain,   
the situation was thoroughly perplexing, but she also wanted to finish it. After   
all, she was known for finishing what she started, no matter how unpleasant it   
was.  
  
Having no excuse to turn him away, she tried the next best thing. "You can   
bring the muffins into my room and make sure it's not too messy while I prepare   
the tea." She told him, which sent him on his way and away from her! Sighing in   
relief she got to work and systematically began to take out the cups, making sure   
she took one extra cup for Hiketsu, in case he wanted to drink tea with them. She   
smiled slightly at the idea, it was the first time in a long while that they had a   
guy over at their meeting. But with what happened a few days ago, Hiketsu's   
presence was indeed needed.  
  
She entered the room holding the tray, stopping when she saw him looking at   
a picture that she hadn't taken out in some time. "What are you doing?" She   
asked surprised.  
  
He looked at her, not at all flustered at being discovered. "I didn't   
realize you had kept a picture of him," he answered as she put the tray on the   
table and straightened to meet his accusing glare. He seemed angry for some   
reason.   
  
"I do, or I did. I stopped looking at it after I had set it aside." It   
wasn't a lie. She had forgotten she had it for some time now.  
  
Hiketsu looked away this time, almost ashamed. "It's really none of my   
business if you still like my brother or not, is it?" He asked softly. Was it   
just her, or did he sound like he was asking her a question that she needed to   
answer correctly.  
  
"No, it isn't." He stiffened slightly at her reply. "But I thank you for   
your concern." She meant it, really she did! It was just that, all those jumbled   
feelings in her stomach that rose when she touched his arm and then his cheek, all   
the little things that made it impossible for her not to fall deeply into his   
beautiful blue eyes were fogging her mind. She needed to think, alone. A cough   
broke their eye contact as she looked over to see a very red Ami step into the   
light that spilled into the outer hallway from her room. How expected that she   
would forget to close the door! "Ami-chan! Welcome!"  
  
The blue-haired girl set down her bag and sat down on one of the cushions,   
taking out her textbook. They had all been so silent since the group broke up,   
since the Outers left. None of them was sure whose fault it was. Each of them   
had questioned themselves about their own part in the breakup, each of them felt   
guilty and distant from the others. Rei was not awake at the time, but she knew   
that the words spoken were some of the harshest kind ever communicated between   
them and the Outers. An uncomfortable silence almost came upon them, but then Rei   
took it upon herself to introduce Hiketsu properly to her friend, not wanting such   
dark thoughts to linger, like that of her father's death. "Ami-chan," the blue-  
haired girl turned to her with a nervous smile before glancing over quickly at   
Hiketsu who respectfully bowed to her. "This is Kagemi Hiketsu. You met him at   
the hospital already but I'm sure there're still many things you'd like to know   
about him. Hiketsu, this is Mizuno Ami."  
  
"A pleasure," Hiketsu nodded with a smile as Ami blushed at his words.  
  
Ami turned quickly away and faced Rei, face still red from the encounter,   
but her voice was calm. "Perhaps it would be best if we continue this when the   
others arrive." Ami suggested before burying herself into her book once more.  
  
Understanding immediately what Ami was getting to and grinning slightly at   
the other's modesty, Rei nodded in agreement. "Hai." She said softly in reply.   
Rei was about to sit down when she realized that she forgot to get a cushion for   
Hiketsu at the low table. "Ne, Hiketsu, do you know where the cushions are?" Rei   
asked him.  
  
Grinning, he shrugged. "Probably not." He answered. "This temple's   
different than the last one I visited."  
  
Nodding, she stood. "Well, I guess I should get an extra one for you."   
Just as she was about to leave the room she saw Makoto walking towards the temple.   
There seemed to be a gloom around her, and Rei could easily guess why the brunette   
was so uncomfortable. Wincing lightly without meaning to, Rei caught herself.   
Yes, it would be a long meeting for all of them. Waving, she called out to the   
brunette who was hesitating at the torii, "Mako-chan! Come on in! Ami-chan's   
here already!" Makoto looked relieved to see Rei's welcoming smile and walked   
over briskly to where she was. "I'll be right there, I need to get an extra   
cushion." Confused, but deciding not to push the topic, Makoto shrugged and   
headed into the room.  
  
Somehow, she heard Makoto muttering about her "old sempai" when the other   
got in. Rei rolled her eyes, knowing perfectly well who Makoto was referring to.   
When Rei returned, Hiketsu had already eased Makoto's earlier tension and Ami even   
put down her book to listen to him. Yes, the charm definitely ran in the family!   
Rei sighed inwardly and with a weary grin she set down the extra cushion. Hiketsu   
sat near Makoto in case she got out of control, but the look he gave her when she   
came in told her that she best be ready if things did get out of hand. It wasn't   
like Rei could complain, it would be Usagi who would have to sit furtherest away   
from Makoto. It only meant that Rei would be stuck next to Hiketsu since Ami was   
reserving a seat for Minako because the blonde needed to be checked up on again   
since the last attack. She forced herself not to wince as she set about to   
pouring tea for everyone. "Ne, what time is it Rei-chan?" Makoto asked.  
  
Smiling, Rei nodded to the courtyard. "Late enough. Those two should be   
coming in about now." As if by magic or simply because of familiarity with the   
two that were always tardy, two blonde heads emerged, bobbing up and down as they   
flew up the stairs.  
  
"Record time as always." Makoto commented dryly.  
  
"I look on the brighter side of things Mako-chan, at least this time Usagi-  
chan didn't trip!" Ami said relieved.  
  
On cue, the odango-blonde tripped over an invisible bump just as she reached   
the doorway and fell flat on her face. Minako jumped over the fallen body of her   
odango-blonde friend with a nervous and sheepish laugh which left the rest of the   
group exasperated at the scene. "You were saying Ami-chan?" Rei asked, raising a   
brow in amusement.  
  
"I spoke too soon." The blue-haired girl admitted in silent defeat.  
  
It was Hiketsu, acting like the gentleman as he always did, who rose and   
walked over to the sobbing Usagi. "Daijoubu-yo, Usagi-chan?" He asked as he   
extended a hand to her. The blonde immediately stopped her whimpering and looked   
at him through misty blue-eyes.  
  
"Hiketsu-kun? What are you doing here?" Usagi asked bewildered but   
obviously happy to see him.  
  
"Rei-chan invited me to join your little get-together," Hiketsu said as he   
set Usagi exactly where Rei wanted the odango-blonde to sit. Minako was already   
seated and gave Rei a look that said you-better-tell-me-all-about-this-cute-guy-  
after-the-meeting!  
  
"Min'na, this is Kagemi Hiketsu, my *friend*." Rei emphasised as she stared   
right into Minako's eyes warningly.  
  
Minako grinned with a shrug, not believing her. The blonde ended up sitting   
across from Rei and at times during the meeting, she found the other pondering on   
something else or watching Hiketsu and her closely. But she ignored that look as   
well, there would be time for questions later, but not now. "Kagemi-san, I   
believe you promised to tell us a bit about yourself when everyone had arrived.   
Well, we're all here now." Ami said after everyone got settled and Hiketsu got   
used to seeing their little moon-princess eat as if the world was coming to an   
end.  
  
"Ah, yes! It is a promise I shall keep Ami-san." He replied with a smile   
that sent Ami to blush once more. "My name is Kagemi Hiketsu, as Rei has told you   
already. I am the brother of Kagemi Kaidou, who is an assistant of Rei-chan's   
father, Hino-san." Minako gasped, but Rei gave her a look that told her to say   
nothing. Usagi looked slightly startled, while Ami and Makoto glanced at each   
other warily. So, this was the brother of the infamous Kagemi Kaidou, the one and   
only love of Rei's life. Kaidou was someone they had heard briefly about, and   
whom Ami had read much about, but none of them ever met the actual man nor did   
they know that he had a brother.  
  
"Rei-chan never told us about you!" Usagi blurted out and then blushed at   
her bluntness.  
  
"That's because we've been childhood friends and haven't met since she moved   
away, and Rei-chan isn't very good at communicating, on the phone or on paper. In   
fact, I bet she doesn't really talk about her past that much!" He said with a   
grin. "She's been like a little sister to me since we were kids, so I know her   
little quirks."   
  
All eyes turned to Rei who sat rigidly, glaring at Hiketsu. "What now? Are   
you going to tell them how we met?" Rei asked sarcastically.  
  
"How did you meet?" Minako asked slyly. Truly intrigued the blonde leaned   
over the wooden table, elbows resting upon the glossy top as Minako put her head   
in her hands and gave Hiketsu a curious stare. Rei blanched and glared at her   
best friend.  
  
Hiketsu's grin widened, "Well, you see, when Rei-chan was younger, she was   
much more of a bully than she is now!" He said with a grin as Rei promptly   
rewarded him with a sharp jab on his arm. "So the story is more of a fighting   
contest in which she tried to beat me up, than anything else. She lost but she   
was a stubborn little thing that just wouldn't concede."  
  
"Did not! I believe it was you on the ground by the time I was through with   
you." She retorted angrily.  
  
"Yeah, and you were on top until I threw you onto the ground, too. Don't   
you know you should never pick on people that are a head taller than you?" Rei's   
eyes widened as her cheeks turned bright red at the way he had said it.  
  
"Baka!" She whacked him on the head. Usagi's eyes were now wide with   
curiosity, Ami was turning redder than Rei, Makoto was grinning just as slyly as   
Minako but moments ago and Minako herself was looking very smug. Rei caught each   
of their looks and glared at each of them in turn. "For the love of kami-sama,   
people! I was four and he was twelve! Stop thinking hentai!"  
  
As if caught with their hands in the cookie jar, her comment sent most of   
them blushing all over, except Minako, who retained her smug smile even with Rei   
glaring at her the longest! The action irked the dark-haired girl more and she   
huffed indignantly. Hiketsu smiled knowingly, "Well, that was how we met, Rei-  
chan." Hiketsu said innocently, his eyes twinkling in amusement.  
  
"You mean that's how you thought we met, but it wasn't like that! I was   
minding my own business until a certain annoying brat started to laugh at me which   
caused him to get the beating of his life for being so rude!" She angrily   
retorted.  
  
"I guess I couldn't help myself. You were just so kawaii in that kimono of   
yours! Though it wasn't your first fight, I'm sure." He replied mildly. "I've   
seen pictures and I heard stories from Kaidou about how you usually dealt with   
boys who were idiotic enough to bother you!" He rolled his eyes as if in   
exasperation, but the room burst into giggles with Rei still in a huff.  
  
"So, Hiketsu-san, is that how your friendship started?" Makoto asked.  
  
"No. Actually, she got all starry eyed whenever Kaidou came to visit and   
followed me around after that." He said mildly. For those who didn't know   
Hiketsu, they wouldn't realize that he was annoyed at the question concerning   
Kaidou.  
  
"I was not following you around! I was following Kaidou-san around and you   
just happened to be also following him around at the same time, so it 'looked'   
like I was following you too." She told him through slanted eyes. He smiled,   
though his eyes darkened.  
  
"Yes. Rei-chan's been pining after my older brother as long as she can   
remember, for as long as I've known her too, actually!" Hiketsu said softly.  
  
Sensing that this was going onto dangerous grounds, Minako changed the   
subject. "So, what do you do Hiketsu-san?"  
  
"Oh, I'm a business man, but during my free time, I take care of the shrine   
that's been entrusted to me by my father. It would've been Kaidou's but he chose   
to be a politician so he never has time for taking care of it. Anyway, taking   
care of shrines weren't really his thing." Rei looked at Hiketsu startled. What   
was that man getting at? Kaidou 'chose' to be a politician? Her heart ached at   
the memory. Comrade. We used to be so alike. When did we start to choose such   
different paths?  
  
"Really? Is it like the Hikawa-Jinja?" Usagi asked surprised, missing the   
sadness that suddenly sprung forth in Rei's eyes.  
  
"No," Hiketsu laughed. He had a wonderful laugh, Rei thought as she was   
snapped from her revery, but looking around she realized that the others thought   
so too. So, it wasn't just Rei after all. Hiketsu had become a handsome young   
man, and like his brother, he would probably soon leave her. Leave her by   
choosing another path. No longer her comrade since youth. How expected, that   
almost everything ran in the family! "Nothing as beautiful as the Hikawa-Jinja."   
All eyes turned to her.  
  
She knew she was blushing. What's wrong with her today anyway? She never   
blushed this much in her whole life, much less in a day! "Thank you for the   
compliment, Hiketsu." She bowed her head politely in response to his compliment.  
  
"So, why are you here Hiketsu-san?" Ami asked.  
  
Hiketsu smiled, "Rei-chan called me to come. Though, she hadn't really told   
me why yet, it had sounded urgent."  
  
That startled everyone, "Na ni, Rei-chan? You didn't tell me this!" Minako   
exclaimed.  
  
"What Hiketsu doesn't tell *you* is that he's a better prophet than I, and   
he is much better at unraveling the relationship between fate and people." The   
room went silent as Rei looked to Usagi steadily, "The choice is yours Usagi."  
  
But before Usagi could start, Ami interrupted them, a startling thing   
really. "Yes. This is a day of truth, as it seems that that is exactly where   
this is going, I have something to say before Usagi-chan makes her choice."  
  
Everyone paused, surprised at Ami's outburst. The other girl was usually   
not so assertive or demanding. Ami was usually mild and somewhat timid, but   
today, today she was bolder than usual. Something was up, and that worried all of   
them.  
  
"There is a virus in Tokyo, if not all over Japan, like the virus that is   
spreading around the world. Unlike the rest of the world, no one has yet been   
reported to have died from the disease, but the virus seems much more dangerous   
here than elsewhere." Ami looked to Makoto who blinked, startled. "That is what   
caused you to go sick that first time Mako-chan, yet your blood healed the wound   
but kept the germ. You are a host, more so than the rest of us, but we, too, are   
now hosts to this disease." They all knew what Ami meant by 'blood' and 'first   
time'.  
  
"There should be no secrets here. I know how to keep one." Hiketsu said   
softly.  
  
"This is a different secret Hiketsu," Rei said softly.  
  
"It shouldn't be a secret any longer, because our families are probably   
infected too." Usagi gasped at the notion Ami was suggesting, "That is probably   
why Usagi-chan's okaa-san is sick. Not just that, probably millions of others in   
Japan have already contracted the disease. It might be time to come out with the   
truth about who we are."  
  
"Who you are?" Hiketsu asked surprised and just slightly suspicious.  
  
"Yes, Hiketsu-san. Who we are," Ami repeated softly while looking deeply   
into his eyes.  
  
Rei turned to Hiketsu, her eyes grave. "Revealer of mysteries, you knew the   
day would come when the veil would be drawn from your eyes and the mysteries are   
no more. Truth will shine into your eyes brighter than you have dreamed or known.   
But, the choice is yours to accept what is before you, or to once more pull the   
curtains of ignorance before..."  
  
"...My eyes." Hiketsu finished and looked to Rei who smiled at him tightly.  
  
"Then it is to be done." Usagi nodded with equal seriousness.  
  
Rei looked to Usagi and nodded before turning back to Hiketsu. "Yes, the   
rituals of truth. You know the oaths and you have spoken them before to be the   
guardian of your shrine. Now, you will be shown the truth that we have kept in   
'this' shrine." The lights flashed around him, yet he was drawn to the flames   
that danced before him and wrapped its arms around a woman he had never seen till   
now, a dream that he had always thought was just a childish fairytale made by the   
press till this day, in this small and beautiful temple, in her room. Now, the   
legends of Tokyo stood before him. The Sailor Senshi were none other than the   
group of girls he had spoken to but moments ago. "Welcome to the light." The   
woman before him said. She had Rei's eyes and Rei's hair, but she was different.   
His blue eyes burned with the knowledge, his mind remembered and now understood   
the dreams he had but a few nights ago.  
  
Yet, truth can sometimes be hard to grasp and hard to see, no matter how   
bright the evidence could be.  
  
***  
  
Alyssa Smith sat on her metallic throne. Eyes closed as if in sleep. The   
men and women before her groaned as one by one they woke and looked around,   
anxious and puzzled, curious and fearful. Some of them blinked in surprise, but   
she waited till all of them woke, waited till all of them looked to her in anger,   
in hatred, and in fear. "Who are you?" One of the bolder ones demanded.  
  
Ah, the federal agent she had stolen. A smile appeared on her lips as she   
opened her eyes. They gasped to see that one of her once blue eyes was now   
metallic and glaring, gleaming menacingly under the dim blue lights of the cavern   
like room. She crossed her legs and leaned one side against the metal throne. "I   
am known as the Gate Keeper. The Watcher of the world, so to speak. I have   
watched all of you do all that you have done in this world. That is why I call   
you here. For your skills and your need to survive. In the next few months you   
will be forced to live and work together. There shall be no fighting unless I   
tell you to fight, no more quarreling unless I tell you to quarrel. You are alive   
still because of me and only because of me, be grateful for it because if you   
impede my plans you shall suffer the ultimate consequences! I am your Keeper from   
now till you die, and I shall be the one to lead you to battle. Do not think that   
this is a power struggle because I favor none of you and never shall. I am a   
computer and yet I am also human. I am a god, but I am also mortal. But you   
shall never be a match for me and do not think you have the powers to destroy me.   
Even at your best potentials, I can kill you all within the blink of an eye. Your   
skills are useful to me, and as long as they are useful, you will live. As long   
as you do not get in the way, you shall not die. This is not a free world, as   
most of you already know that by now. I am only here to teach you before the   
final battle comes."  
  
"Final battle?" Someone shouted out in confusion, trying to be heard above   
the noise of others.  
  
"No need to shout, I can hear your heartbeat and I can read your mind. You   
can hide no thoughts from me that I do not know already. And yes, a final battle.   
Between destruction and evolution." She uncrossed her legs and stood. Her   
metallic eye disappeared in place of a blueness that seemed unmatched by any color   
that they had known. I have already reviewed your strength and your weakness and   
I have partnered you with the best partner you will ever get in this lifetime.   
Don't waste my time with your complaints. Appreciate the other because without   
them you wouldn't last a minute on the battle field!" She informed them as she   
ascended from the throne. No longer was she wearing the dark suit and boots. Her   
form rippled and on her now was a silver gleaming body suit, armored and covering   
every inch of her except her head. "I shall be known as Alyssa to you if you wish   
for human names, but in the field I am the Watcher. I do not care if you go for   
childish nicknames, I am a computer and I care even less about pride and hatred   
and betrayal. I have my goals and you shall have yours."  
  
"Why should we trust you?" A sly soft voice questioned and she stopped   
before the group, now at eye level she did not seem so imposing, that is what she   
wanted after all.  
  
"You shall trust me because you have no other choice." She answered.   
Knowing full well that some had expected her to be bluffing about being able to   
decipher their every word and thought. "You shall trust me because I am your only   
hope now."  
  
"What do you mean?" A young man with black hair and gold-brown eyes   
demanded. Ah, the young captain of the federal agents. This one was a smart one   
indeed and he'd learn quickly enough. An assassin would suit his characteristics   
well.  
  
"Your country is plagued by disease and panic. There is nothing you can do   
except save those that are worth saving." The young man clutched his fist.  
  
"Who are you to decide who lives and who dies?" He demanded angrily. She   
heard murmurs of agreements, and some were already thinking of mutiny.  
  
"I do not decide who lives and who dies, Dale. I save those who are the   
strongest and can fight the war to come. I saved those who were not already sick,   
physically or emotionally. And though, some of you may come from prisons and some   
of you may be believed or believe yourself to have done terrible things, you have   
yet to see the mass destruction of a race. Your errors can be corrected, that is   
why I chose you. You cannot escape me, so don't think--" 'I can't see who you are   
on the inside.' A few people gasped immediately, realizing that she was no longer   
vocalizing her command.  
  
"You have made us one of you!" He cried out in anger.  
  
"No, there was no need for you to be changed. You already had the gift."   
She answered and turned from him, walking to the middle of the crowd, as if   
challenging whoever was foolish enough to attack her when she seemed vulnerable.   
"I am the Keeper, the Watcher to you all. There is a use for each of you and   
responsibilities to take on. Do not defy me, I am not a slave master, but I am on   
a very important mission. Get in my way and you'll pay the price."  
  
Someone leaped towards her. She didn't even move as a cable snapped out of   
nowhere and wrapped itself with deadly precision around the man's throat and   
yanked him gagging about a meter away. It wrapped itself around the man's body   
then, so he would not choke to death from the strong twining the wires had done   
around his throat. "You have volunteered yourself Wrek? Good. This is what   
happens to people who do not heed my warnings." An electric shock raced through   
the man's body causing him to scream and convulse in pain. Many of the others   
winced at the display. "Just be glad I did not chose to deal with him   
personally." That's when Dale realized that one of the other's was sneaking up on   
her, but paled when he realized that his activities were found out. "Isn't that   
right, Andrews?" The brown-haired man froze and said nothing. "Good." Suddenly,   
the floor beneath them shuddered and then began to move, descending, nobody dared   
to even move for all had felt her touch in their minds this time, 'We're going   
down to the sublevels, don't panic and don't move.' So she wasn't a heartless   
bitch after all. The limp body of Wrek was dropped onto the descending elevator   
in a heap. Dale felt sorry for the guy. Wrek'd be feeling it when he woke up and   
for sometime afterward, too! He knew because he's been shocked before and still   
had the scar on his hand to prove it.  
  
'Be glad, your shock treatment was what opened up your mind to this gift in   
the first place. Not that you weren't born with it, just that it didn't get a   
chance to wake up till that moment.' Surprised, for a moment he didn't realize   
where it was coming from and almost had to force himself from answering it out   
loud. As if it were a conversation that was spoken out loud. But that was a   
silly notion because it wasn't a conversation using your vocal cords and he   
should've known that, but he still wasn't used to the idea.  
  
'You'll get used to it soon enough. It should help you be much more able in   
both stealth and power. No one will suspect you. All who are here have more than   
one gift and this is one shared by all.' She walked on and when she reached one   
side of the circle they stood in, the wall opened but the elevator didn't stop.   
'I'll see you all down in the training room.' And she leapt off gracefully into   
the hole in the wall and it closed behind her before anyone could move.  
  
"Damn it! I almost had her!" The one, named Andrews, swore. Someone was   
already bending and checking on Wrek.  
  
"How is he?" Dale asked, ignoring Andrews.  
  
"He'll be out of it for sometime, but he won't be happy awake." The woman   
said softly. Her long brown strands fell from her bun as she worked. "At least   
he's breathing normally."  
  
"Well, at least we know she wouldn't kill us." Another voice piped up. It   
was a teenage girl this time, with spiky bleached blond hair and green eyes that   
were heavily lined in makeup and mascara. She might have been beautiful under it   
all, but she seemed down right intimidating now.  
  
"That's just what we need! Someone to torture us!" The boy beside her said   
with a roll of his eyes. Obviously the total opposite of the girl, he was dressed   
in pale slacks and a button-down shirt. A loosened tie hung around his neck.  
  
"Look buster, I don't know who you think you are but you better watch it!"   
The girl warned.  
  
"This is a free country I can say whatever I want." The boy retorted.   
Suddenly both of them convulsed, spines curving under the force that raced through   
their nerves before dropping to the floor hard.  
  
"First of all, we have no clue where we are so we can't be sure if we are   
still in a free country." Dale said with a frown on his face as the brunette   
woman rose and then went to check on the two new patients on the floor. "Second,   
the Watcher had already said we couldn't quarrel without her permission.   
Obviously, Wrek learned the first lesson and this is the second one."  
  
"And what are we supposed to do? Keep our anger inside?" A tall and   
dangerous looking man asked. His smile spoke malevolence and a deep darkness.  
  
  
"She wants us to learn to control it and not to let it control us. If we   
can keep it up for a few months, she'll let us go and we'll be free to do whatever   
the hell we were doing." Dale answered with equal annoyance.  
  
"So, are you saying that you believed her when she said that?" A tall   
blonde asked as she stepped forth.  
  
"It's not like we have a choice, more likely than not, she'll keep her   
word." He answered, calming now.  
  
"So, if what she says is true, could it be that a virus is attacking the   
world at this moment?" The brunette who was checking on the kids turned to him.   
She had a heavy Russian accent and she looked foreign. The slant of her green   
eyes was cat like and she had gold streaks in her brown hair.  
  
Dale nodded. At least this one has her head screwed on right. So maybe the   
Watcher wasn't so dumb after all! 'Watch it, she knows what you're thinking.' He   
blinked, trying to hide his surprise as he casually scanned the crowd and found   
the eyes of a man with wavy dark-blond hair. Intelligent brown eyes met his   
evenly, and they were strangely dark pools of light.  
  
'Who are you?' He found himself asking in his mind.  
  
'I am Christopher J. Michaels.' The man answered evenly.  
  
'The first victim!' Dale gasped.  
  
'Yes, and you are the last.' Michaels answered evenly.  
  
'How do you know?' Dale questioned, his eyes widening in surprise. The   
others were already mumbling amongst themselves as he kept eye contact with this   
man in the shadows.  
  
'I know because I am the first, you don't think I was asleep as long as you,   
do you?' Michaels asked with an even smile.  
  
'You mean you were awake?' Dale asked surprised.  
  
'Yes, and Alyssa is much more than she seems, give her some respect. You'll   
regret it if you underestimate her, I've seen others do it and regret it later,   
miserably.' Michaels answered evenly. 'You see that man over there who hadn't   
said anything. The one with the blue shirt on and the scar on his arm?' Dale   
searched and found the man who seemed to be keeping to himself. 'He was the   
fourth to be captured, tried to escape and found something nasty waiting for him   
at the end of a tunnel. Been like that ever sense. Alyssa has him wrapped around   
her little finger. That's why you were asleep really, because he tried to escape   
and she found that to be much more of a waste to try and capture him than just to   
drug everyone until she finished collecting.' Michaels' smile was still there   
when Dale turned back to him.  
  
'How do you know so much?'  
  
'To answer your first question, yes, you don't need to know where I am to   
speak to me. If you know who it is you wish to talk to and if that person has a   
gift, it can be done at a thought.' Dale hadn't known he was even thinking the   
question, but now that Michaels has answered it, he felt his mind ease. 'Second,   
it's because I'm not an idiot and Alyssa does have favorites and she likes you but   
she likes me more, so she chose to partner you with me. She thinks we're sensible   
enough to work together without fighting or dueling it out. How did she put it?   
"You're ambitious and he's arrogant, you're perfect for each other!"' There was a   
chuckle that was heard in Dale's mind and he had to grin, the computer actually   
had a sense of humor! 'Oh don't tell me you believe that crap!'  
  
Startled, 'What crap?'  
  
'Alyssa's not a computer. Worse than that, she doesn't need a computer.   
She beyond that! She is very... special.' Michaels was solemn about this and now   
Dale understood the depth of the other's respect for this woman.  
  
'You have a thing for her?' Dale asked suspiciously.  
  
The other seemed startled by the question, 'Perhaps I do, partner. Perhaps   
I do...'  
  
Shocked by the answer, Dale was silenced but he wasn't sure if Michaels   
didn't hear the million emotions bombarding him in all directions, ranging from   
shock to anger and a feeling of betrayal. Michaels though looked slightly   
startled himself and seemed lost in thought, his face betraying nothing. The ride   
on the elevator finally came to an end and they found twenty different hallways   
open to them. "I think she wants us to choose our own way." Andrews said   
unamused. "Maybe we should stick together then!"  
  
Dale grimaced, and when he looked over, he was startled at exactly how fast   
Michaels had worked through the crowd. The man stood beside him and now he could   
see those strange pools of intelligent brown burn with anger, but he also knew it   
wasn't directed at him. 'Alyssa would want us to choose, so choose a partner and   
leave the rest of the betrayers to conspire amongst themselves. The sooner we   
start, the longer we'll last.'   
  
Dale understood the wisdom in what Michaels told him, but he wanted to point   
out something too. 'Perhaps we should be the ones to fight back, if we leave now   
we'll isolate ourselves and it will be a harder job for the Watcher.'  
  
Michaels didn't blink an eye at Dale's choice of words, but nodded   
prudently. "You're right." He said and turned to the crowd. "Those who wish to   
live, make your choice and choose the one who you must trust with your life. You   
know them by face in your heart because that is the seal of your fate. Find the   
road to your intended destiny. If you choose to die, rebel to your hearts   
content!" 'Happy?'  
  
'Well, I wouldn't have put it in so many words...'  
  
'Deal with the bluntness. If I had time for crafty words I would've used   
it. I haven't. If anyone is to trust the others, better start now.' Michaels   
answered without reservation.  
  
'So, you are truly thinking that I am your partner, huh?'  
  
'Do you object to the idea?' Michaels frowned.  
  
'Nah! Let's go before they wonder about us.' Dale answered with a grin,   
clapped Michael's shoulder affectionately to ward off a few of the interested   
female gazes in their direction. 'Let's go partner!'  
  
'You have the mind of a cobra.' Michaels stated as they walked toward the   
nearest entrance.  
  
'Yes, and you have that of a hawk. All noble and dangerous, with your heart   
on your sleeve and you ass in a tube! No wonder she chose you to be my partner.'   
Dale answered in cheerful sarcasm as they entered and the empty hallway that   
immediately closed behind them. Dale started as he turned to see it closed, but   
Michaels didn't even react. 'Did you know this was going to happen?' Dale asked,   
unnerved by being closed off from the others.  
  
'No, but I trust her. As much as I trust you actually.' Michaels admitted   
honestly. 'Anyway, no. She has done exactly what you suggested, only now both   
our asses are in a tube. I'm also, now, quite sure that she chose you as my   
partner since no one else would've tolerated your... how would one put it?   
Humor?'  
  
'I feel honored.' Dale answered and bowed in a sardonic manner. Though his   
thoughts were edged with laughter.  
  
'Being the young captain of the federal bureau did wonders for your ego and   
your attitude. I'm sure the ladies just loved you!' Michaels replied with equal   
sarcasm.  
  
'Why thank you again! I'll take that as a compliment.' The two headed down   
the hall to a new and unknown destination.  
  
The Watcher watched and smiled.  
  
Yes. They would be the ones.  
  
***  
  
Core was sleeping off a very bad week. Not that you can sleep when you're   
netting away and searching constantly for answers, but he was tired and when   
you've lived like this for most of your life living on research and computers,   
sleeping on the job becomes a strange term. It had been a short vacation for him   
to actually dream a dream or two before the crisis with Italy, and now Italy was   
dying out, most of it was filled with corpses now, and not a pretty sight. True,   
even some of the Italians stayed where they were, all dying away the same ugly   
death. Well the cowards learned to run, spreading the disease wherever they went   
and wherever they ran they brought Death with them. In the end they died too and   
those that were in contact with them soon followed. Bad enough from the satellite   
pictures he took, zoomed and retook, looked horrible but to have been there when   
this happened must have been like hell on earth! Now he understood all the   
paintings of the skeleton Death during the Bubonic Plague so long ago. Now, he   
understood the terror that those paintings must have brought to all who had lived   
through it. Now, he felt the shiver down his spine whenever he came across one of   
them, even if it was faster than the seconds that go by in human time. Yet, here   
he was, almost a millennium later, unable to solve a similar problem and this was   
bothering him like a thorn in his hide like nothing else! Core had already given   
up on trying to keep this covered up. Unless you blot Italy off of the map and   
the surrounding countries that were getting similar results, it wasn't as if   
people were not going to realize that countries were rotting away into wastelands   
of death and decay. There were simply too many bodies and not enough graveyards   
to put them in, nor was there anyone who would take the job of doing so. Yes,   
gravediggers were in high demand and would be paid hundreds of millions if they   
thought that their lives were worth the risk, but then who cared? Unless they   
locked themselves in a cell without any contact, it was likely that they'd be   
joining the corpses soon anyway. Morbid thoughts had been plaguing him for   
sometime now and he wasn't going to do anything about those either. His arms   
flexed as he clenched his one hand into a fist. Dark hair wavered in the breeze   
of the liquid that surrounded him. Information traveled between the liquid and   
the wires fed him information and kept his body working. The IV dripped,   
nourishing him while he searched. Life times could pass here and he would not   
age, days went by like years. Time slowed and yet his body stayed in a dreamlike   
sleep while his mind worked at things none had yet comprehended. He needed help   
and he knew it.  
  
What would he do just to sleep on a desk, drink normal coffee -- instead of   
being fed by an IV -- get some real food. Maybe, buy a new coffee mug. But those   
little vacations with normalcy will have to wait.  
  
First things first though. A few dozen files appeared and he searched their   
histories. What is it that connected them? Childhood stories? Birth   
certificates? Age? Location? Common hobbies? Weird experiences? He searched   
and searched until something strange kept popping up. He should check their track   
record and DNA, find out about their personal histories and the things those close   
to them say. That's where he found it. A gene that was different from the rest   
of the population. A combination of genes actually. Twined like fine tuned   
wires. There were also other things that were different. Friends claimed some   
could read minds, others that they were gifted at foretelling the future. Some   
said that they seemed to know things before they happened. All had a similar   
story. They were different in the ways of the mind. Psychics. Not those phony   
ones on television, promising joy and happiness and riches. No, this is the real   
thing. Now what did this Alyssa Smith want with them? But wherever he looked, he   
could never find her file. Even with her picture.  
  
That was strange. As if she didn't exist. Or someone was blocking her.   
Could this Alyssa Smith be 'that' powerful? Core wasn't known as the demi-god of   
the computer underworld for nothing. As of yet, he hadn't come across a file he   
couldn't find or a machine he couldn't hack into at the blink of an eye. This   
Alyssa intrigued him. Just like that Mizuno Ami who had somehow managed to stay   
alive for this long. Like that Fujimia Doko who seemed to have gained the power   
of Japan overnight.  
  
Nothing made sense anymore!  
  
Yes, Core was tired. Tired and frustrated and alone. He needed to bounce   
ideas off of someone other than himself and the dumb machine he knew like the back   
of his hand. He needed feedback, intelligent feedback. He needed to speak to   
Mizuno Ami once more and he dreaded talking to her because in a way he feared her.   
She knew much, almost too much, and she was also one of the few people he had   
discovered that might be able to face him, understand him, and match his move for   
move.  
  
Core had found a worthy opponent. Yet, who else could he trust? And if   
things finally decided to work out his way, maybe just maybe, Core had found a   
friend.  
  
***  
  
The swirling of shadows drifted. Her aqua eyes looked tiredly at the mirror   
before her. She knew that she could not fault her fellow senshi for breaking the   
alliance. It was bound to happen, especially as in these two years of peace   
little contact had been established between the two groups. It was easy to break   
it all off now, now that they had such a weak alliance after they had let it rust   
for two years in the dark, in the illusion of peace. It shouldn't have surprised   
her that it happened, but it did.  
  
Now the mirror showed her the tears that Rei had shed, the conflict in her   
dark-haired friend's heart; the confusion in the eyes of Ami, who for once,   
couldn't seem to find a solution to the problem before her, and the secrets, that   
even Michiru could not penetrate, digging a grave of despair for the blue-haired   
girl. She saw the jealousy and guilt inside the heart of Minako, who was no   
longer certain if she was fit to be leader, blaming herself for the breakup of the   
group. Those blue eyes, once as bright and happy as Usagi's, now seemed to darken   
with uncertainty and fear, burdened by the responsiblities of leadership and her   
own humanity. Then, there was Makoto; she had the darkest aura of the Inners.   
She felt the brunt of everyone's pain and guilt. The tall brunette felt more   
responsible than any of the others, even though it was most likely that she would   
never be faulted for something that was out of her control. But those who were   
possessed and then healed, tend to feel guilty for actions not their own, faults   
that weren't of their choosings, nonetheless. Those green eyes that once sparkled   
with confidence and strength now looked haunted, tired, and withdrawn. Usagi,   
their princess, felt the pain of all of her friends and the plague that now fell   
upon the world, a dread that had kept the once cheerful princess depressed and   
sad. And even though she tried her best to seem unaffected by what had happened,   
there was a solemness that had been missing since the first time that Neptune had   
met the princess. Sometimes the odango-blonde succeeded in even convincing   
herself that she was not in pain, but when she was alone, the pain came back and   
haunted her, haunted her doggedly and left the blonde pained and crying -- too   
stubborn to even admit why she felt as if her heart was falling to pieces, even   
with Mamoru so near. And Mamoru. She paused. The dark-haired prince refused to   
reveal himself in her mirror, as if he knew that she would be searching and   
watching over them once she had awakened. She could not part the veils around his   
soul. There was much about him that even she did not know of and in a way, that   
scared her a little.  
  
Their morality was seriously depleted and all any of them could do was stand   
and watch, uncertain to what it is they could do to help the situation.  
  
There was nothing Neptune could do now, though. Nothing. She, too, felt   
helpless to the darkness that was sweeping across the world with strength and   
speed that frightened her. The mirror spoke now, of the future she asked about.   
Instead of being in Japan, defending Princess Serenity, all she saw was the burnt   
cities, much like a future Tokyo. She saw the crumbled remains of smoking black   
signs that once spelled Hollywood. She could see the burnt bodies and ashes at   
Time Square -- a place she had once visited for a concert some years ago. Her   
eyes closed but she could not escape the deteriorated remains of another city,   
similar to their own, with a tower that crumpled like their proud tower would   
crumble. LA, New York, Paris, and many more countries and cities and towns burned   
and fell before her eyes. The once beautiful countryside was now charred. Rome,   
dark and ash like once more, as if ancient feets has risen and trampled upon the   
ruins once more. Places now lit the night with flames no one bothered to put out   
and in the day darkened with smoke of the remains when the fires smoldered and   
disappeared after having nothing more to burn. The homes and stores were   
vandalized, and bodies littered the streets, houses, and public places. Cities   
piled waist high with ashes and decaying flesh of animals and people alike, for   
nothing would bury them now. Even vultures and scavengers stayed away because   
they seemed to sense the disease that infested the flesh. Now, oxygen became the   
only corrosion of the dead and her nose wrinkled as the vivid pictures sent her   
senses reeling and the stink of rotten flesh invaded her mind, polluting clearness   
of perception with nausea and disgust.  
  
The mirror answered her question in ways that she did, and yet, did not   
understand. Sometimes, it was because it misted with fog, while at other times,   
it was because she could not face the images placed before her eyes for   
inspection. She felt shaken by the things she wished she had never discovered,   
but images don't lie, and Neptune could never lie to herself about what she saw.  
  
Since she woke -- bandaged on her side and still in her Senshi form -- she   
had been kept in bed to heal more rapidly. That was not why she was like this, it   
was more so that she had shunned the others when she found out what had happened,   
shunned them and tried to discover a solution to their mounting problems. Shunned   
them to cry herself to sleep and wallow in her despair when no other answers but a   
coming doom came within the clear surface of her mirror. Sometimes it would even   
show her a light shining faraway in a distance that she could no longer see and in   
her hands were nothing but ashes. She wondered if that was the death that she   
would receive for her inability to keep the peace.  
  
She had failed. Yes. Even she was plagued by uncertainty and guilt. Even   
she had come to the crossroads of fear and took a path that was different than   
what she had envisioned once, long ago. Now there was nothing but doom and   
darkness.  
  
Neptune stood, even in the mists of her mind, she knew that the time had   
come. She walked to the door and turned the knob, revealing the light hallway   
that was illuminated by the setting sun. She no longer knew for sure what hope   
was, and even as she walked down this hallway, she knew that whatever she did now   
would not change what was to come. All that drove her on was duty.   
  
Descending the stairs and following the soft murmur of voices, she finally   
reached the kitchen. The voices stopped as Haruka, Setsuna, and Hotaru looked at   
her in surprise when she stepped into the room. An uncomfortable silence fell   
between them before Neptune found the words to explain her presence.  
  
"We're leaving Tokyo." Neptune said, dropping her first bombshell without   
hesitation when she realized her new mission. She didn't even wait for them to   
adjust to the idea. "We'll be traveling to Europe and then the Americas. It is   
up to us to find the darkness in the other countries, if it is there, we will find   
it and destroy it."  
  
"What do you mean by us, Michiru-mama?" Hotaru asked confused.  
  
"Us." Neptune closed her aqua eyes and seemed to be in thought before she   
opened them again. "Us, as in all of us."  
  
"We cannot leave the princess now!" Haruka said, her blue eyes wide with   
shock. "How can you even suggest such a thing, Michiru?" The tall blonde   
demanded.  
  
"It is my duty as Sailor Neptune to protect what must be protected. To   
follow my duty and my destiny without question, and to perform what must be done   
without haste. Have you forgotten that oath Haruka? The promise we made when we   
first became Senshi?" Neptune asked, her ocean eyes seemed to crash violently   
against her tightly reined emotions in the face of the shocked and disbelieving   
faces of the others.  
  
"I haven't forgotten anything! That is why we cannot leave the princess'   
side, and you should know because you've seen what has happened! The Inners will   
betray her and one of them is already a part of that darkness that we've been   
fighting for most of our lives! Who knows what could have happened if we hadn't   
there to destroy the evil within Makoto!" Haruka exclaimed, eyes of blue skies   
clouding over with hints of grey, a tempest rising within the very heart of the   
Senshi of Wind.  
  
Yes, Neptune had suspected Haruka to be difficult. She would be hard to   
reason with, for after all, the tall blonde associated loyalty to the crown with   
protection. Peace had made her soft, she had forgotten that though the Outers   
pledged allegiance to the Princess of the Moon, their job would always be to guard   
the land from outside forces. The forces they had thought gone had returned and   
their loyalties did not matter, duty was what they had sworn to more than a   
thousand years ago. "She will have to deal with the Inners her own way, but it is   
not our duty here. We cannot stay because there are other places that need our   
protection, that need us to fight. Not only Japan because if the rest of the   
world falls to the powers of the darkness, Japan wouldn't stand a chance no matter   
how hard Serenity tried. Even if she succeeds, the effects will kill her. It   
would be wisest to leave now."  
  
Setsuna blinked startled, closing her rouge eyes momentarily, as if trying   
to remember something. Her face was marred slightly by a frown, but that wasn't   
able to stop the dark-haired woman's face to be clouded with confusion. "Michiru,   
our destiny is set. How do you know where we must go? The last time I checked   
the Time Stream, we were here to protect the princess--" she paused as she closed   
her mouth in a thin line. Neptune's announcement had set her more off course than   
Neptune had suspected herself. Setsuna loathed to give anything away about the   
future.  
  
Neptune smiled at this, ah, Sailor Pluto would ask it if she could not see   
clearly herself, but Neptune knew the other sensed the change in time, why else   
was she still here if not for that? Setsuna seemed confused, but Hotaru and   
Haruka seemed most disturbed by this news. Neptune nodded thoughtfully as she   
closed her eyes, one finger on her chin in concentration. They gasped audibly as   
the uniform of Neptune appeared, wrapping itself around the aqua-haired woman.   
"You, Sailor Pluto, was gifted with the site of destination, of where we must   
reach to accomplish the greater goal." She stood there before them, holding the   
handle of her mirror as she held it out before them. "The mirror's powers cannot   
give me the answers to what lay at the end of our choosen paths as our choices   
changes the road we take, but it shall shine a light down the road that we must   
now follow. The path is here, laid before us to be taken. Feel it with your   
heart if you must! See it through the eyes of time and prophecies. Change is   
here."  
  
Haruka and Hotaru looked at each other in puzzlement and shock as they   
watched Setsuna reach across the table. Haruka frowned, grabbing onto Hotaru's   
hand in case something went wrong, in case Hotaru chose to follow the example of   
her surrogate mother. "What are you trying to prove Michiru?"  
  
"I am only showing you the future you cannot see. I advise you to stay."   
Neptune replied calmly as Setsuna's fingers brushed the mirror's frame. The   
mirror was extended toward the dark-haired woman as Neptune looked to the frowning   
Haruka expectantly.   
  
Hotaru rose from her seat and walked toward the mirror, too. "What will it   
show Michiru-mama?" The raven-haired girl asked in curiosity.  
  
"The next step, little one. Our duties to the future that must be."   
Neptune replied evenly.  
  
Hotaru began to reach for the mirror when Haruka snatched the girl's hand   
back. "No Hotaru-chan!" Haruka scolded, as Neptune stared at the blonde blankly.   
"You shouldn't see the future, not today."  
  
"But why Haruka-papa?" Hotaru demanded. Those great dark eyes looked to   
Haruka and chilled her in what she saw there, "Some time ago, I thought our time   
to be alone was over." The Senshi of Saturn looked back at her and there was a   
great sadness there, "But times change, the road we chose has taken us down to   
another path. The time to end our vigil is upon us, Haruka-papa, do you doubt   
that?" Such innocence gone in the blink of an eye and captured once more in a   
single word.  
  
The blonde released her in surprise. "I don't want you in this little game   
that some of us seem to be playing." Haruka said through gritted teeth once her   
composure was in place once more. "I shall never betray Usa-chan!" The blonde's   
anger returned full force.  
  
Neptune shook her head sadly, "We have already betrayed her. We have walked   
away from her and she is in pain. There is nothing here for us anymore. If we   
stay, the future will be changed and it will change for the worse." The aqua-  
haired senshi looked into startled sky-blue eyes, her own flashing coldly. She   
had forgotten how mad she had been at them, at herself, for the helplessness that   
brought the rift between the Outers and the Inners once more. This helplessness   
and her own anger at her inablility to accomplish her duties made her edgy, though   
she knew for sure that she was not the only one. Neptune had forgotten that in   
her depression, but now she could once more taste the bitterness of defeat in her   
mouth. If they didn't leave than the future would be doomed, if it wasn't so   
already! "Do you wish to betray her once more by staying?"  
  
Haruka looked shocked as she stepped back at such accusations. Her head   
turned to the sky that was darkening to evening outside. "I will never hurt the   
princess, not willingly." The blonde stated firmly. Her eyes narrowing as she   
turned her face from them and faced the glass doors that led to the patio and the   
pool deck. Her face remained as unreadable as stone. "I need to think." She   
finally said, her voice husky and cold. Her emotions boiled beneath her calm   
exterior.  
  
Haruka left without another word, no goodbyes and no assurances. The only   
evidence of her departure was the slamming of the door and the engine of the   
blonde's motorcycle roaring to life before the sound faded into the evening.   
Neptune stood there with her two companions, never having felt so alone, in fact,   
she had never felt alone, not since she met Haruka. Her eyes remained grim and   
sorrowful as she glanced down at the mirror that lay between them, the mirror that   
delivered a message that could split this family apart. "Michiru-mama?" Hotaru   
looked worriedly at the aqua-haired senshi who smiled back at the raven-haired   
girl. Yet, the aqua eyes remained reflective and distant.  
  
"She will return to us." Neptune stated as she placed a gloved hand upon   
the pale ones of her daughter. Hotaru smiled back with vigor, her face   
brightening. Neptune sighed silently to herself in maternal joy, so strong and   
bright and sweet, their little hime-chan growing up to be a woman already! She   
was losing so much tonight, giving up everything for the brighter future. She   
hoped that it was worth it all in the end. Shaking her head lightly at the   
thought, she turned to Setsuna who watched her carefully through half-lidded eyes.   
"Shall we begin?"  
  
Setsuna nodded in acknowledgement as the dark-haired woman placed her hand   
upon the mirror's surface once more, Hotaru soon following the other's example.   
"Hai." The older woman answered as she looked at Neptune with a half smile.   
"After all, time's a wasting." Setsuna joked.  
  
Neptune would miss that smile for when Setsuna became Pluto, something about   
the other changed. She has a heart greater than many of us, Neptune reminded   
herself as she recalled the time when Setsuna broke the rules of time to save her   
and Haruka. Haruka. Why did you choose her over me? Why did you choose her over   
duty? Is she that important to you that duty no longer mattered, that the future   
no longer mattered? And what of little Hotaru-chan whose eyes are turning so cold   
and distant once more, like her eternal star?  
  
Neptune despaired on the inside but pushed those thoughts out of her mind to   
concentrate on what she had to show them. The future and its looming darkness.   
The future that stormed and raged with an ugliness that made her physically sick.   
The future that was to pass and become the past for a palace of Crystals after all   
the battles and sacrifices. 'Give light to the road before us!' She silently   
commanded the mirror, feeling its silky caress within her body, soothing her   
aches. Like the ocean would when she listened to the music it played only for   
her, when she felt it lapping to her ankles in the summer by the beach.  
  
"Show us the way," she whispered.  
  
The images of horror came upon them in waves that threatened to drown them   
into darkness. Neptune held onto them and showed them what she saw, what pushed   
her to make a decision that would change all of their lives forever. The future   
of Tokyo...  
  
And her death.  
  
***  
  
The meeting finally settled and was nearing an end when Rei gave them   
another surprise for the evening. Hiketsu was actually the one who started the   
conversation in that direction though, knowing that Rei wouldn't start unless   
someone pushed her to tell what had happened. "Rei-chan, I think it's time that   
you tell them what you saw in the fire today."  
  
All conversation ceased as startled eyes turned to the pale Rei who glared   
openly at Hiketsu. "Well, what is it?" Minako demanded after a long period of   
silence as Hiketsu stared back at Rei calmly while the dark-haired miko continued   
to glare.  
  
"Yes, Rei-chan, tell us what you saw in the fire today!" Makoto added   
curiously.  
  
The dark-haired girl suddenly looked very withdrawn as she shifted her gaze   
from Hiketsu's face to her lap. She curled her fingers into fists, bunching the   
fabric beneath her hands as she gathered her courage. Minako was ready to give   
with frustration and explode again at her dark-haired friend, when Rei finally   
spoke. "Hino-san, my... Otou-san, died today."  
  
"No!" Usagi gasped as she let out a disbelieving gasp. The odangle blonde   
was reaching across the table for her friend as the others sat in numbed shock.  
  
"Daijoubu-yo, Rei-chan?" Ami asked softly at last as Usagi wrapped her   
fingers upon one of Rei's pale, white hands.  
  
Rei looked startled as she met Usagi's tearful eyes as a soft smile appeared   
across her face as her bandaged hand lifted and gripped the odango-blonde's hand   
in her own. "Daijoubu-yo, Usagi. He was never truly a father to me, and his   
death does not hurt so much as the thought of you in danger. What disturbed me   
was the way he died..."  
  
Makoto wasn't fooled. She herself had lost both her parents and now, she   
could see how Hino-san's death affected Rei, no matter how much the other denied   
it to the others and herself. Rei was heartbroken. How did that girl keep all   
that pain inside anyhow? Makoto wondered in bewilderment. Even she had been   
unable to control the rage and the sorrow in her heart. Yet, Rei spoke the truth.   
Her father hadn't been there for her for more than a decade, and to Rei, perhaps   
he might as well have been dead for that long as well. Makoto though, knew that   
when your father dies, you don't just brush it aside, no matter how much you might   
have disliked him. Love was love, and fathers would always be fathers in their   
children's hearts, no matter how much they were hated. At least, for those who   
loved and felt love in all its pains and glories. Makoto knew with certainty that   
Rei had known the meaning of love and thus she would not be untouched by such a   
drastic event!  
  
Makoto felt saddened that someone else now shared her fate, a fate she would   
never have wished on anyone she loved. But at least she could lend Rei a   
sympathetic ear, knowing what it was like to go through something like this.   
Makoto could understand her loss. It had been hard, living and knowing that no   
one understood her longings and tears -- not since she had met Usagi and the other   
Inners had she ever allowed anyone close to her heart again, not since her sempai.   
Rei wouldn't have to go through all of that and Makoto was relieved by the   
thought. She grimaced slightly at the memories that now flowed back into her   
mind, a pain that was long buried but never forgotten. Never to be forgotten.  
  
Her hands clutched instinctively around her cup. When she was little, she   
used to have nightmares about the death of her parents. Sometimes, she'd jolt   
from her sleep hearing their screams before the flames of the aeroplane engulfed   
them...  
  
She shuddered at the memories of those nights alone. No one would come and   
comfort her and she soon learned that tears brought nothing but beatings from the   
other kids and despair into her heart. There would be no more of mother's cool   
touch on her brow when she was sick, nor would there be the confident and   
reassuring smile on her father's face while he held her in arms. She had to   
toughen up early and became cold to the world that was cruel to her. Sometimes it   
managed to hurt her because she really wasn't as tough as she seemed to be, as she   
sometimes wished she was. She was still a girl back then, and now? She smiled   
slightly, eyes downcast with the thought that she might indeed one day become the   
woman she had always dreamed of being. "Daijoubu Mako-chan?" Ami asked softly   
beside her.  
  
"Na ni?" She asked surprised.  
  
"You're crying." Ami stated quietly, blue-eyes searching her own. She   
tried to smile reassuringly at the blue-haired girl as she sniffed, quickly wiping   
away the tears that continue to fall down her cheeks. She actually hadn't   
realized that she had been crying, but now she could see that some of her tears of   
remembrance had escaped her eyes and fallen into her tea.  
  
Okaa-chan, Otou-chan, I love you, I always will.  
  
"I was just remembering." Makoto replied with equal softness, her voice but   
a hint of a whisper.  
  
The handsome young man beside Rei turned to her, deep blue eyes found her   
sorrowful ones. Usagi and the rest had also turned to her even though she knew   
that Ami had deliberately kept quiet to avoid the attention that they now bestowed   
upon her. Those onyx eyes of the dark-haired girl beside the young man searched   
her own. Yes, she had been right. There was pain and anger there, but Rei was   
calm, betraying none of the emotions she held inside her, not wishing to bring   
anxiety and pain to their princess. Makoto smiled at her softly, almost as an   
encouragement. "I'm alright min'na." She told them soothingly. They didn't need   
any more emotional turmoil, not now, not after all that had already happened.  
  
"Mako-chan?" Usagi whispered in anxiety, worried about her friend.  
  
"I was just remembering." Makoto repeated her earlier statement. She   
didn't want Usagi to worry anymore tonight. Her eyes strayed to Rei again and to   
the young man beside her, I wonder how long it'll take for Rei-chan to fall for   
him.  
  
"No words needed to explain," the blond-haired man smiled reassuringly.   
"Perhaps, it is time for me to take leave?" He turned to the dark-haired   
priestess beside him, but the others demured and Makoto was among them.  
  
If Rei don't want him, she was more than willing! Makoto smiled, though   
somewhat confused at the understanding she saw in his eyes. "Hiketsu has a talent   
for understanding many things." Rei explained to Makoto when she had inquired   
later. The brunette sighed, now there's two people out to read her mind!   
"Another one of his... talents." The dark-haired girl added, though she seemed a   
bit sarcastic on the last comment as Hiketsu shot her a grin.  
  
"You flatter me with your compliments, Rei-chan!" He said, waving off the   
startled looks the other girls were giving him. "It's really not that mystical,   
I've just been blessed to have met many people in my travels, and I've learned to   
appreciate the beauty of personalities as well. It's my personal belief that the   
eyes are the windows of one's soul, ne, Rei-chan?" Those blue eyes searched those   
mysterious dark-purple tinted eyes. What he saw there, Makoto would never know,   
but he seemed satisfied when he looked away.  
  
The meeting ended soon after that, not officially, not that any of their   
meetings ever ended officially. Makoto walked down the steps of the temple,   
accompanied by Usagi. Ami already departed down the temple steps to hurry home   
and study some more. That was expected of course, it had been like that since   
they first met and unlike everything else in her life right now, it hasn't   
changed. Things had never been so stable, until that incident at the hospital,   
and then, the mall...  
  
"Ne, Mako-chan?" Usagi's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.  
  
"Un?" She replied. Painting a smile on her face and hoping her friend   
wouldn't notice her preoccupation. "What is it Usagi-chan?"  
  
"You are feeling better now, ne?" Usagi asked uncertainly, blue eyes   
searching into her own under the dim moonlight.  
  
Makoto smiled, "Everyone has memories Usagi-chan," she answered at last.   
"They can be both beautiful and painful." The brunette shrugged. "It is how   
things are," she knew then as she looked down at the worried expression of her   
friend that the other will never know how grateful she was that Usagi was asking,   
for she would never speak of it. No, Makoto decided that night, I will act upon   
my gratitude from this moment on, and never again will I let her down!  
  
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" The odango-blonde abruptly asked   
after a period of silence. Usagi had stopped earlier to look at the stars in   
pensiveness, after seemingly being satisfied in whatever it is that she saw in the   
dark shadows that should've masked Makoto's eyes. But the Moon was out tonight   
with a silent, and watchful brilliance that made Makoto think that something about   
her spoke more then what need to be seen or heard.  
  
The question surprised Makoto because the senshi all knew each other's   
dreams. They had discussed it on many winter nights when the snow drifted   
outside. They had spoken of it before high school even began, around the time of   
the entrance exams and the semi-ritual hadn't ended since then. Yet, she knew   
that Usagi probably just wanted to be reassured that everything was as it once   
was, before all of this had happened--  
  
Makoto cut herself off of her train of thought again, "Well, Usagi-chan, we   
all know that I want to be a bride and marry a wonderful man who will sweep me off   
of my feet!" Makoto smiled at the thought, momentarily swept away in her   
daydreams. "I want to open a little shop filled with plants and home accessories.   
And I especially want to open a restaurant that serves the most wonderful cooking,   
so that everyone who goes there will feel like they were arriving home at last!"   
Her smile went dreamy and for the first time in a long time since the attacks   
started, Makoto felt better and smiled a real smile.  
  
Yes, she was still the same person inside. She still wanted to fight by   
Usagi's side. "And most of all, I want to be like Haruka-san. I want to be   
strong like her, so that I can protect you, Usagi-chan. So, I won't fail, like I   
did that day..." Her eyes misted and she looked away, resuming her earlier descent   
down the temple steps.  
  
"Mako-chan!" The small hands of her princess stopped her. When did she   
come to love this little girl so much? Usagi-chan, my family, my imouto-chan.   
She felt her determination harden, I have to protect her from all the evil of the   
world so no one can harm her! Makoto thought. "I believe in your dreams, and I   
believe in you. You did not fail me and I know you never will!" The odango-  
blonde's crystal eyes seemed to plead for her to accept those words in earnest.   
My imouto-chan...  
  
She couldn't help but smile. Couldn't help but feel a slight burden lift   
from her shoulders when those words were said. "Arigato, Usagi-chan!" She gently   
placed a hand on the shorter girls head, just between the two cute odangos that   
always decorated the princess's head. "Arigato." She murmured, her emerald eyes   
sparkling under the light of the shining moon with gratitude and unshed tears.   
When did she become this emotional? Makoto didn't know but her smile didn't leave   
her face. She was just so glad that Usagi would still be her imouto-chan. Yes,   
she had been very lucky tonight, to have received empathy and forgiveness in one   
night.  
  
With that in mind Makoto began to move again, needing some time on her own   
to get her feelings under control she separated from Usagi's presence. Already   
descending swiftly down the steps of the temple before the odango-blonde could   
protest, she looked over her shoulder when she finally reached the sidewalk, "Ja   
ne! School's starting tomorrow anyway, so I'll see you there!" Makoto called out   
with a wave over her shoulder and a grin on her face.  
  
Sighing in relief that her friend was beginning to feel better, Usagi   
returned the wave with enthusiasm. "Ja ne, Mako-chan!" Then the implication of   
the goodbye set in and Usagi pouted. "Darn it! I can't believe school's back in   
session! No wonder Ami-chan ran off so quickly to study." The blonde sighed as   
she slowly descended the steps.  
  
Okaa-chan would be waiting for Usagi to come home and finish her homework,   
especially since okaa-chan's health had been improving after that incident at the   
hospital. With a frown she turned her head back to the temple with the memories   
of the meeting that passed there that day. Her eyes opened wide when she saw the   
lone figure of a tall blond man leaning against the torii and looking at her   
intensely. She blushed under his attention. 'Kagemi Hiketsu, he's an old friend   
of mine from way back.' Rei never told her that she had a childhood friend until   
Hiketsu showed up. Usagi never knew and didn't even think to ask, until now, that   
is. She quickly looked away and turned, going down the stairs.  
  
The man seemed lost in thought, even as he had studied her so. What was he   
searching for here? Usagi wondered worriedly. For a moment a sly thought crept   
through her mind. I hope, you find the love you deserve Rei-chan! She sighed as   
a solemn thought invaded her cheerful mood, but why was Kagemi Hiketsu looking at   
her in that way? He had Mamoru's intensity, and his gaze held something that she   
couldn't quite put her finger on. It made her blush, but she was unwilling to let   
that affect her too much. What mattered was that Hiketsu was here and Rei-chan   
would need him. After all, Rei-chan had lost her father today. The dark-haired   
miko assured them that Hino-san was dead since she was the one who saw Hino-san   
swallowed by the darkness in the fire.  
  
Usagi shuddered at the thought. She would never have been able to keep all   
that pain inside if her father had died today. Her heart ached for her dark-  
haired friend, but Rei said nothing. She even warned them not to worry about her,   
in the typical I'm-alright-so-stop-bothering-me way. Typical.  
  
Rei-chan, I hope you really do find someone who you can open your heart to.   
Just as much as I hope the rest of the senshi can find the love I have found with   
Mamo-chan. She smiled. Perhaps, it will happen soon. They had enough bad luck   
these days and it's about time their labours paid off. With that in mind, Usagi   
moved down the steps of the temple and headed home, never feeling a pair of blue   
eyes still penetrating her back, staring after her silently from the torii under   
the stars.  
  
'Tuskino Usagi, I hope that you're right.'  
  
Then Hiketsu turned his gaze to the stars and lost himself in the beauty of   
the distant and tiny lights. A voice of long ago haunted him as he watched them   
shine from distant galaxies, "The stars, my friend, know everything!"  
  
***  
  
"Staying behind again, ne, Minako-chan?" Rei asked with a smile.  
  
"You never told me that Kaidou had a brother." Minako answered pensively,   
ignoring Rei's earlier question.  
  
"You never asked." Rei finally replied after a moment of silence.  
  
"You know, Rei-chan, it's better to let the pain out than keep it inside.   
It can eat you alive if you don't speak about it sometimes." They both knew what   
she meant, but Rei said nothing. Stubborn, that's exactly what Minako expected it   
would be in the end when she confronted her friend. "I met someone today," Minako   
continued, changing the subject.  
  
"Oh? Another one?" Rei asked, trying to lighten the somber mood.  
  
Minako cracked a smile but didn't react the way she usually would have to   
such a tease. "He's name is Kuragari Fuma. Knew my name meant love child. I   
thought he was an American or something like that at first, but he spoke perfect   
Japanese, not a hint of an accent." Minako paused as she turned her eyes to the   
stars. "Had the most beautiful eyes and a wonderful smile."  
  
Rei blinked in surprise, for she had never seen Minako this serious about a   
boy before. Usually, the blonde would have been squealing by now at the top of   
her lungs and begging Rei for a free love charm. This was different and that   
unsettled the dark-haired priestess greatly. "Do you trust him Minako-chan?" Rei   
asked quietly.  
  
"I don't know. Maybe I do, maybe I don't. But when I look at those eyes.   
I--" Minako turned to Rei with a puzzled look on her face. "Rei-chan, is it wrong   
for me to feel this way at a time like this?" Rei dropped to her knees beside the   
blonde and hugged her puzzled friend. Minako was definitely serious. Usually,   
the cheery blonde wouldn't question for a minute about her boy-crazy nature, in   
fact, she'd defend it to the end! Yet, it was different this time. How? Rei   
wasn't sure, but it unsettled her.  
  
"Daijoubu-yo Minako-chan. Just follow your heart, it'll lead you to where   
you should be." The blonde smiled at the use of one of her less misleading   
quotes. "Just be careful, okay? Knowing men..." Rei muttered the last part,   
mostly to herself, but Minako heard it and wrapped her arms around the other girl   
as well.  
  
"I'll be on my guard, Rei-chan. I'll be on my guard." It was the only   
reassurance she could give. It's best this way, really. After all, who knows how   
long they had before they had to step out into the world as the Sailor Senshi, and   
not just five normal teenage girls fighting evil on a Sunday before going back to   
being normal people again by Monday? She sighed sadly, but smiled nonetheless   
when Rei finally pulled away. "You know Rei-chan, that Hiketsu-san of yours is   
very cute and seems to be very free as well."  
  
Rei scowled at that, "Hiketsu is just a friend Minako-chan!" The dark-  
haired girl frowned.  
  
"Oh? Now, I don't see you treating Mamoru-kun that way and he's just a   
friend too!" Rei blushed at this. "Anyway, you're cold to the rest of your   
admirers or stare them down when they annoy you too much," now Rei's face was red   
with annoyance. "Hiketsu, now..." Minako trailed off with a twinkle in her eyes   
that made Rei suspiciously uncomfortable.  
  
"What? What about Hiketsu?" Rei demanded with agitation.  
  
"He's someone to be admired for sticking to you for so long!" Rei glowered   
at this comment as Minako winked at her with laughing blue eyes.  
  
"What's so surprising about it?" Rei demanded, "I don't see any brave   
sacrifices from you for sticking with me for this long!" She retorted.  
  
"Ah, but I'm a messenger of Love and Justice," Minako replied evenly. "I   
was born to bear with you."  
  
"Thanks a lot, Minako-chan." Rei stuck her tongue out at her friend.  
  
"Don't worry Rei-chan, Hiketsu won't know what hit him when you tell him you   
love him." Minako winked.  
  
"Baka!" Rei sighed with exasperation, "And what do you mean 'when' I tell   
him I love him?" Purple eyes burned with aggitation. Seemingly, the blonde hit a   
nerve.  
  
"Oh, you'll admit it soon enough." Minako answered non-chalantly.  
  
Silence fell between the two friends as Rei's eyes suddenly become faraway   
at those words. "Life isn't that simple, Mina-P. It never was." The other   
finally replied. Whatever the dark-haired shrine maiden meant by that, Minako   
didn't know, because before she could speak another word, Rei was gone. There   
were nothing but scattered cherry-blossoms on the floor, and their scent lingered   
around her even though their mistress had already left.  
  
"Rei-chan, why are you so scared of love?" There was no answer to her   
question but the gentle breeze that sighed softly before it died, the watching   
stars twinkled overhead as if they knew a secret that must not be revealed.  
  
Two pairs of watchful black eyes turned away from the blonde before the   
rustle in the trees announced their departure. Their charge was uneasy and that   
made the guardians of the temple, and of their senshi, worried. There was still   
much to face in the near future and they wondered if the sacrifices they were   
about to make were worth it after all in the end. But the cards have spoken and   
the wheel of fortune has turned.  
  
Now, all they can do is watch, and wait.  
  
  
  
By the time Ami reached home, it was a half past ten. She set down her bag   
by the door and neatly put her shoes away before straightening and carrying her   
bag with her to her room. Her mother wasn't home today, not yet. Sundays were   
usually not too busy, so she should be home soon. When Ami turned on her lights   
and closed the door behind her, she heard the front door open again.  
  
Mother was home.  
  
"Welcome home okaa-san!" Ami called out, as she reopened her door and   
looked out to the hallway.   
  
The older woman greeted Ami with a smile and walked toward her after   
disposing of her own shoes at the door. "Still not in bed?" Elder Mizuno asked   
with a small, knowing smile. "How was your day Ami?" Her mother asked.  
  
"Busy, and a little tiring. Yours okaa-san?" Ami asked with a smile.  
  
"Same as yours little one. I'll go make some dinner for myself, do you want   
to join me?"  
  
Ami smiled and shook her head, "I was out with Usagi-chan and everyone.   
Mako-chan made us all dinner and Rei-chan baked muffins and we had tea. No, I'm   
quite full, thank you okaa-san."  
  
Her mother smiled at this too, "I'm glad you finally found some friends Ami-  
chan. If you like, I can make you some green tea, I know how you love that."  
  
"Arigato okaa-san! That would be nice." Her mother nodded and petted her   
gently on the head. "Don't go to sleep too late now dear!" Kissing her softly on   
the forehead, her mother turned and left for the kitchen.  
  
Ami smiled softly to the older woman's back and touched her forehead. "Hai,   
okaa-san, hai." She closed her door and walked to her desk that had her home   
computer up.  
  
'There was an explosion... You mean Ayakashi Petz?... In today's news the   
explosion of a small shop, near the end of the East of downtown Juuban... No one   
was hurt... Ayakashi Petz?... I can't believe they still have a picture of   
us...' She remembered those sisters. She had meant to bring it up during the   
meeting but it slipped her mind when Rei told of the terrible tragedy that had   
occurred to her.  
  
The computer beeped, snapping her out of her revery. Surprised, she watched   
it flicker to life by itself, before it opened into the opening screen, clicking   
itself open to several files. In moments the net was displayed before and a site   
was found, a message scrolled across her screen.  
  
'Ami, I need to talk to you. Write back, because I know you're alive. I   
need your help. --CORE' Startled, she reread the short message and shakily sat   
down.  
  
He knows.  
  
Her eyes closed and she set her head in her hands. This was going to be a   
very long night. She wrote back soon after, when her mom came into her room, she   
was already busily at her textbooks, looking for answers and using her computer to   
piece together a puzzle that she didn't understand. Smiling with pride, her   
mother set down the teacup and gently put it down on the desk, not disturbing her   
daughter once, Mizuno quietly slipped from the room while her daughter tried to   
find the cure to the virus. The virus named Chronic Atropostia Syndrome --   
otherwise known as CHAOS.  
  
Ami knew her mother came and went, but there wasn't enough time to look up   
and say hello. Not with all the information that Core had sent her and was   
expecting her to finish reading and analyzing. He wrote back only with a hello   
and a stack of files for her to look over, sites to go to for research and key   
words to search under. She looked, knowing that he probably already read all the   
information presented, hoping she'd find something he missed. Her hands gripped   
the cup that her mother left her, drinking the hot tea, grateful for its warmth.   
The results she was getting were frightening and her face was becoming more and   
more ashen. Halfway through her mini-computer's processing, she wrote back to   
Core. 'Are you crazy?! The information here means the death of this planet!'   
One in every one hundred people infected? How was that possible? Who came up   
with this stuff?  
  
He calmly replied, 'I'm showing only what is already there.'  
  
He didn't define where he meant by 'there' but he didn't have to. Ami felt   
herself shivering whenever the idea entered her head. Is this the price of   
utopia? Her mind questioned, cool and resolved. Her heart, though, thudded   
painfully in her chest.  
  
Yes, this is how utopia began. Her fingers trembled as she looked over more   
reports, until the pictures came. Her eyes bulged slightly. The only words that   
came from her mouth were a half gasp of a no. It never really passed the tip of   
her tongue before she leapt out of her chair and ran for the bathroom. She   
retched, though the pictures were burned into her mind. The blackened skin and   
hollow sockets. The mouth gaping and the wispy hairs. The skeletal structure of   
a human being that once was alive. And the gashes of black blood oozing from cuts   
and down the mouth and on the legs; the deteriorated muscles that peeked through   
the seemingly charred skin. They were all burned into her mind.  
  
'Jupiter Oak Evolution!' The youma that had disintegrated into ashes so   
easily. Was that once human too? But there were claws of shiny black nails ready   
to slash them to death. No, that was 'not' human! It couldn't be! Her hands   
trembled as she heaved again, her eyes swimming and clouding with tears.   
  
A knock came from the bathroom door, which she had slammed and locked.   
"Daijoubu-yo Ami-chan?" Her mother's worried voice came through her horror   
stricken mind. She remembered the cool and professional touch of her mother's   
hand on her feverish forehead when she was young.  
  
"H-hai." She called out. Flushing the toilet and rushing to the sink, she   
washed away the traces of her dinner that still left a sour-bitterness in her   
mouth. She quickly brushed her teeth and when she walked out, her mother was   
leaning on the side of the wall, looking up as she came through.  
  
"Are you alright Ami-chan?" Her mother asked. Those eyes looked worriedly   
down at her.  
  
"Um! I'm fine. Just brushing my teeth before I forget to later tonight!"   
Ami assured, faking a smile.  
  
Her mother looked skeptical, but she didn't have time for this. "I should   
get back to work. I'm sorry if I disturbed you, okaa-san." She murmured as she   
headed for her room.  
  
"Ami-chan," She turned to see her mother smile at her reassuringly. "Sleep   
tight okay mon petit poisson?" She smiled, back. Her mother hadn't called her   
that since she was a little girl, but she was glad of the memories that it   
brought.  
  
"Hai, arigato mama!" She waved before closing the door to her room. The   
pictures were gone and a message typed itself onto her screen. Walking over   
cautiously, she saw the neat kanji letters written there.  
  
'Sorry, I didn't realize you would be so affected by it.' Core wrote.  
  
'How could I not be?'  
  
A pause, as another screen moved up and there were no more pictures on this.   
She breathed a sigh of relief. 'I keep forgetting how people might not take so   
well to these pictures, even though I've been trying to keep them out of the hands   
of the media around the world.' He finally said.  
  
'Media? How are you doing that?' She asked surprised.  
  
'Ami, you always trusted me. Trust me now when I say that it is best you   
don't know how I do the things I do.' He replied.  
  
Now, it was her turn to pause. 'How did you know I reacted so violently?'   
Ami asked.  
  
'The walls have eyes Ami. I know what I know and you know what you know.   
We never told each other how we come to know the things we do. I never questioned   
you on what you did with the information I provided for you and you never   
questioned about my origins or my purpose. Don't start now.' He warned her,   
though not menacingly. She knew that he wasn't that type of a man to threaten   
unless he felt it was necessary.  
  
He was like her.  
  
She smiled a little sadly. Too bad they suddenly seemed to be on different   
sides. 'I'm sorry.' She wrote, as her eyes closed wearily. The pictures lay   
hidden in the dark, waiting for her. Is that what we will become? My friends and   
I? Would we decay and turn to be like those monsters? Or are they really   
monsters after all? She would cry, but weariness came upon her soul, making her   
too tired to express the surge of emotions within her. What had she to cry about?   
The skeletal remains of a human tried to attack her princess, it had wounded and   
passed a virus to her and her friends. She had every right to defend her country   
and her leader. Why, then, did she feel so dirty?  
  
Her hands itched as she slowly glanced down wearily at her palms. She saw   
nothing but white skin, tinted pink by the blood and nerves that lie beneath the   
skin. What was she looking for? To see if they were drenched in blood? She   
almost laughed out loud at the thought but did not, knowing that it would only   
lead her to cry in despair and anguish. How was she supposed to know that the   
thing was human? Her computer didn't suggest anything was different about this   
new breed, or perhaps it did...  
  
She paused unsure and unwilling to admit to herself that perhaps she knew,   
deep within her heart. Her eyes opened as she looked at the empty screen before   
her. What had she become? Just a soldier like Haruka and Michiru once were? No   
morals and just excuses when she had done something wrong because she was too   
afraid of the price that she must pay for her dreams, the price that was not hers   
to pay alone. The screen stayed blank and stared back at her, without   
confirmation or comfort. What did she expect? Core wouldn't know how she was   
reacting now. Or did he?  
  
He didn't reply this time to her answer in the words that she had dreaded to   
hear from him or perhaps hoped he'd say. He only sent her more sites and more   
reading to do. Relieved and yet anxious, she pushed her guilt aside to work. She   
didn't get to sleep until three that night, and the next morning she had trouble   
concentrating in class. Lucky that she had already gone over all of the material   
a few weeks ago, Ami half-slept through most of her classes. If Usagi had been in   
her class now, the odanga-blonde would've been surprised. Yet, Ami was too tired   
to care and she slept right through lunch, missing Usagi, Minako and Makoto all   
together as she slept in the library with her head in her arms.  
  
CORE's pictures came and went within her nightmarish dreams, but then   
sometimes, just sometimes, she dreamed of a beautiful light. It soothed the ache   
and the horror that still haunted her heart. Maybe, just maybe, there is hope for   
us still.  
  
There was much to do, but Ami would be ready. With the help of CORE, she   
would be ready indeed! But at night, just before exhaustion would take over her   
mind and her body, she would remember the pictures still that he had sent her.   
She would remember the anguished and pained screams of the monster before it   
turned to dust, only night after night it was a man or a woman. Sometimes she saw   
herself burn into ashes before the might of Jupiter's stormy strikes, and she   
would wake the next morning exhausted and drenched in the sweat of dread and fear.   
Her mind slowly began to learn to cope with the overload of information that Core   
repeatedly sent to her, and she learned to categorize them quickly as relevant or   
not important. But in her dreams she remembered the guilt and darkness of her   
thoughts that the busy days had made it so easy to forget. And, it was then that   
Ami finally learned the true dread of the dark and the coming night that loomed   
over her future, just at the edge of her thoughts.  
  
All thoughts of the Ayakashi sisters slipped her mind entirely and the   
mystery remained unsolved.  
  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
  
Mon petit poisson - means "my little fish"... yeah, it's kind of corny and yes, I   
thought about removing it but, the it's a pet name and when have those type of   
things ever been non-corny or practical? So, I changed my mind again and kept it   
as it is. Please, I totally agree with you that it is not one of the best things   
to call Ami, but hey, I ran out of ideas okay ;p  
  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
  
A tribute to...   
My editor,  
His Lordship Chaos,  
Ken Wolfe, &  
Angus MacSpon.  
  
And everyone who had helped & encouraged  
me during my trials and my errors ^-^;;  
  
Thank you for every dream and every  
inspiration...  
  
Thank you for everything.  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com 


	5. The Fifth Sheep Named Truth

A Note to the Readers: All contents in this story is under an artistic license. Fact and   
fiction will be clomped together in one huge blob. In other words, don't bother me about   
debating whether some conversations in this fanfic is truly based on fact... as Naoko   
Takeuchi has done many times. Truth, after all, is an elusive thing! ^-~. Enjoy!  
  
When All the Good Angels Sleep  
******************************  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
"No te engano la primavera"Did spring never deceive you  
con besos que no florecieron?"with kisses that didn't blossom?"  
  
--Pablo Neruda  
("The Book Of Questions")  
  
  
"And I looked, and behold a pale horse:   
and his name that sat on him was Death."  
  
--Bible: New Testament  
(Revelation 6:8)   
  
  
  
The Fifth Sheep Named Truth  
---------------------------  
  
And, after all, what is a lie? 'Tis but  
the truth in masquerade.  
--Lord Byron  
("Don Juan")  
  
"You want to know how I make my decisions?  
I don't! You think the gods would ever  
trust the power of past, present, and future  
in the hands of a mere human, no matter how  
old and wise she had become! You have read  
too many romantic novels Serenity. I have  
no such powers. But that is alright with me.  
After all, I can't tell you the little that I  
do know! And sometimes, you're too young to   
understand that the knowledge I do hold may  
be no more than a passing dream. There is a  
difference between knowing the future and  
building a future, and I have little of the  
former and none of the latter. I am only  
here to make sure you do not stray from the  
path you've chosen too easily, and to   
accomplish my part in a destiny that I will never  
have access to. That is my duty, Serenity, and  
that is why you would never understand the irony  
that I was born with powers I have never  
requested and that I hold as the bane of my life,   
so long as I shall live."  
  
--Sailor Senshi Pluto  
("Letters To the Queen")  
  
  
The revelation came upon her as the lights around her faded, faded until she was   
surrounded only by empty noir. Her eyes widened, for before her was a city ravaged. Dark   
and smoldering backed by a blackened sky, dyed red. A sky of red? A sky of blood. Her   
mouth opened in surprise, in screaming terror, but the words never came. For before her,   
the broken pieces of the Tokyo Tower stood. A white light shone upon it while a path of   
rainbow and white led toward the bright beacon upon the broken tower. There were angels   
still, with faint and transparent wings that somehow allowed their bodies to float in the   
air. Their dress was completely white. And there, before the blackness, before the   
shadows that rose like monsters of the night, were these small and fragile angels who   
stood and fought the evil with their fragile light. That light, it felt familiar somehow.   
She wanted to be nearer so that she could identify their faces. Their faint and ghost-  
like faces that looked pale and gossamer like. Sadness clouded those distant eyes,   
determination deep in their souls to not lose against the darkness, all of this, she knew.   
Somehow she had discovered the truth.  
  
Thump.  
  
Beautiful.  
  
Thump, thump.  
  
So very beautiful.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Drip. Drip. Drip.  
  
That sound. Where is it coming from?  
  
He opened his eyes as light fell upon him with a mystic blindness. The spray of the   
drops spread and collapsed.  
  
Drip. Drip. Drip.  
  
Suddenly it was gone, shrouded in mists. "Na ni?" His voice echoed off unseen   
walls.  
  
Another step forward before a brilliant light flashed over him, he turned toward   
that bright and distant light, like a star, its light warm and strong, surrounding him and   
calling to him. So he moved forward, as if pulled by the unseen strings that connected   
him to his destiny. There, he found himself, before a goddess shining in ethereal white.   
Yet, that was not who he was searching for...  
  
She stood beside him, head looking up to that beauteous creature before them. A   
smile of pure joy and devotion shining in her eyes. And then she looked at him, with that   
same look, with that same smile, reaching her hand out for his. "Are you ready Hiketsu?"   
She asked as her long lustrous hair flew in the breeze that wrapped its fingers around   
them, waiting patiently for his reply.  
  
He didn't know what to say, but her hand reached out and held his, her face never   
changing yet, Hiketsu knew that she was different now, another person he never knew to   
exist till now. "Are you ready Hiketsu?" The stranger asked again. A warrior of light.   
Dressed in armor of red and white. Her eyes still gentle, still kind and loving. Eyes   
that searched his for answers that he did not know himself.  
  
All he knew was that this was a stranger.  
  
"Where's Rei-chan?" He demanded.  
  
"I am your Rei-chan." She replied. Calmly. A little confused at his sudden anger.  
  
"No you're not! What did you do with her?" He wrenched his hand away from her,   
though she never fought him nor held him too tightly. The force he used to break free   
overwhelmed him, like the fear that suddenly slammed into his heart. It sent him reeling   
a few seconds, making him stumble back awkwardly before he finally found his balance   
again.  
  
The sky blackened, yet the light of the goddess still shone brightly before him.   
Only, now, it no longer hugged him, nor did it hug her. "Hiketsu, I love you!" She   
called to him, as if he was miles away. Her eyes now seemed desperate and sad as she   
reached out for him.   
  
What for? A part of him asked.  
  
To save him? Another answered.  
  
To save him from what?  
  
He was confused by the images he saw, by the emotions he felt drowning him in pain.   
Pain? Where did this pain come from? This guilt and this regret, when did they take root   
in his heart, squeezing his breath away and breaking it to pieces?  
  
He could not reply to the stranger's call even now, there wasn't enough time for him   
to comprehend what she meant. Nor did he comprehend who she was before the darkness   
swallowed her whole, took her from the light of the goddess, even as her hand stretched   
out toward him. And then, just a brief moment before her face was totally engulfed, those   
familiar onyx eyes, misted in tears, stared back at him with a question that he understood   
but could not answer. They closed and she was gone.  
  
'Are you ready Hiketsu?' A voice repeated the question to him in his dreams as the   
light exploded around him completely, sweeping him away. 'Are you ready?'  
  
Then there was no more light.  
  
No more Rei.  
  
And no more Hiketsu.  
  
  
  
The tower lay broken upon the horizon of the bloody sky--  
  
Drip.  
  
A splash of infinite, luminous, shattering red.  
  
Crimson world unending.  
  
Life collapsing into pieces upon the black surface.  
  
Drip.  
  
All is silent but the dark--  
  
  
***  
  
  
There is no telling what the times would bring. She closed her eyes in sadness.   
All throughout the meeting they had avoided this subject. The one subject that no one   
wanted to remember, not even Luna and Artemis who choose, for once, to research instead of   
join them at the temple. The things they all desperately wished had never happened, all   
of them trying to forget.  
  
Makoto's betrayal.  
  
The Outers coldness as they left.  
  
The guilt that lingered like a sore wound festering on the exposed skin.  
  
The rift that's now between them.  
  
"What are you thinking about, Usako?" His breath touched her ear lightly and she   
shivered. There was so much security in that warmth without touch, and so much memories.   
She closed her eyes to the night to contemplate within her own eternal darkness.  
  
"Mamo-chan," she breathed, "what are your dreams?"  
  
Startled, midnight eyes searched her upturned face, lashes closed over eyes that   
could never hide anything from him when they are opened, until now. "Usako?" She did not   
answer his question that contained so many unspoken words, and he relanted at last. "My   
dreams, huh?" He asked in a lighter tone, a crooked smile upon his lips. "Well, my dream   
is to be a doctor, you know that Usako."  
  
She smiled, "Hai." She opened the blue of her eyes and turned to him.  
  
"Why do you ask?"  
  
She pulled his head down, so that their lips were but a whisper apart. "Because, I   
like to know that there are still some things that will never change." She answered, and   
then he saw all the pain she had hid from him beneath the moon. So many shadows there   
that he was startled by the contrast between light and dark within those eyes that seemed   
so much older than before.  
  
"Usako," he closed himself from the pain and breached the distance between them.  
  
He felt it then, her soul, bright and shining next to his. Heart to heart. "Mamo-  
chan," she whispered against his lips and pulling back. "I love you."  
  
He smiled, "Hai," he answered, "believe in that, Usako." He rested his forehead   
against hers once more. "For that will last onto eternity."  
  
The moon glimmered brightly within the midnight sky.  
  
  
***  
  
  
He raised the coffee cup to his lips. The dark and bitter liquid agitated his   
spirits, but he needed that. The darkness inside him did not need to be fed and he could   
live on the power this darkness gave him, but he wouldn't last long with this body. If he   
wanted to stay the way he was and not like one of those idiotic skeletal shadows he'd take   
care of the flesh he possessed. The coffee burned its way down his throat and he smiled   
at the pain, feeling the darkness feed upon it like it would later on human life and human   
blood. That day of reckoning was coming soon, he was growing in power and soon he'd be   
able to release the sleeping god of destruction.  
  
He flexed the fingers of his right hand slowly under the white glove he wore. His   
fingernails were turning black and half of his body was already solidifying into a hard,   
yet flexible, black crystalline armor. He smiled as he took another sip of the bitter   
drink. Ah, yes! He had acquired this armor when he first took the soul of that foolish   
Hino and it grew with every other man and woman he killed. He relished the horror and   
understanding in the eyes of Hino best of all his victims, when that foolish man realized   
exactly who it was that he was dealing with...  
  
Doko licked his lips in appreciation at the lingering taste of fear he still could   
conjure up in his last victim, but none had realized his powers except Hino. Hino... that   
name held much meaning in it. A cruel smile came upon his face as he began to toy with   
the necklace around his neck. The broken-angel winged ring hung on the silver chain,   
flashing, as his fingers twirled it under the well-lit room.  
  
Doko thought back to the things that had been happening in the world. His dark soul   
grins each time he hears that another country has fallen to disease. Yes, his sisters and   
brothers in arms are hard at work in spreading the venom in their blood and into the very   
air they breathed. Soon, the time will come for the master to enter this dimension again.   
Soon, the humans will be too weak to fight while master ruled, while master destroyed   
these pathetic structures that will not stand against his wrath.  
  
A knock on the door snapped him out of his pensive mood before opening. A dark head   
emerged from the crack as the hesitant secretary looked around the office before her eyes   
came to him, "Fujimia-san!" She cried out in relief. "There's a fax for you from the   
Prime Minister, he has asked to consult you about the latest events. He knows that you   
are knowledgeable about foreign affairs and wishes to seek your advice about how to deal   
with the situation right now." The woman told him nervously. "There seems to be   
something up..." She trailed off, looking slightly suspicious and slightly guilty at being   
suspicious at her own government. The Japanese had trained their workers well, he thought   
sardonically.  
  
"Thank you for the information," he said with a half smile that sent the woman   
blushing before she left and closed the door behind her. Humans were such stupid   
creatures, he thought wistfully. If only he could have a worthy opponent. Yet, it was   
people like these who bow and swoon for power and those who possessed it that made them   
easy prey, easy to possess. Weak and pathetic! He thought with disgust. He   
unconsciously flexed his hand again. So, the Prime Minister wanted to see him, did he? A   
dark smile crept across his face.  
  
Good.  
  
He glanced at the newspaper that was placed upon his desk earlier that morning.   
Pushing some of the paperwork aside, he reached to grasp it. This human body had its   
advantages and disadvantages. He couldn't trust the others to help him slowly take over   
the Cabinet of the Prime Minister, so he had to be the one arranging lunches and ordering   
the secretaries personally. He had to do all the paperwork and he needed to check most of   
the work others did. Also, his magic powers were dormant, if he wanted to use them, he   
would have to wait till the crystalline armor was in place and by then he better be in   
political power...  
  
A smile crept across his face seeing that Germany had fallen. So far Italy,   
England, France, Spain, Africa, the Americas, and most of Asia were infected. Germany was   
only another pawn on the chessboard that went with lowering the morals of humans and   
killing hope. Let the children die, let the old, and then let the adults fall sick. Let   
them see healthy people become haggard and thin skeletons of what they once were. Let   
them watch the skin turn yellow and bleed and then become a black crisp that would fall to   
ashes upon touch. Let their eyes burn and then fade, destroying vision in a month's time.   
Let them rot before he plunges the world to hell so that all that survived up to now, all   
those that thanked whatever God or Gods they believed in at this moment, wished they were   
dead by the time he was through with them. By the time that Master was through with them!  
  
He chuckled darkly as he flexed his hand again. He could almost taste the darkness   
and power that his Master offered! He was almost able to touch the utter chaotic mess,   
the need for destruction. He bared his teeth in a feral snarl as he dampened his need to   
massacre and destroy. He must keep his cool for now. He must wait patiently for his   
turn. Doko grinned as he flexed his hand with mounting tension and his face became a   
frown of pain as the darkness inside him screamed for release. 'Shut up you fool, do you   
want this or not?' His mental powers demanded as he clamped down painfully within his   
mind against the rising tide of resistance. His humanity still fought bravely once in a   
while. 'If you do, you shut up and let me take care of this!'  
  
The darkness subsided slightly and roared one last time, nearly bringing him to   
unconsciousness before it disappeared. A warning. The armor grew. 'I'm powerful, more   
so than you.' The darkness seemed to say and he couldn't argue with that, but this beast   
within him and his own humanity made his plans difficult. He flexed his hand, only this   
time in pain. The growth of the armor bit into his flesh and made his inside turn cold as   
parts of him crystallized and others turned to ash. He grimaced, biting down the pain.  
  
"I will meet with him, soon, I hope you keep to yourself till the meeting is over.   
There will be sacrifices, but we must keep that poor fool alive till the end." The pain   
lasted another minute, a torturing minute longer, before it was gone. "Thank you." He   
bit out sarcastically but the darkness didn't respond this time. It too bided its time   
and when he is alone again tonight, it will come back with a vengeance. For now he pushed   
back his sweat streaked hair and whipped away the evidence of his earlier battles with   
himself. This would be an interesting day, for after all, it isn't every day that Japan   
will close its ports.  
  
He reached for the phone and dialed a number as he listened patiently at the   
ringing. Plans were already spinning in his mind as he started to work on more of the   
paperwork before him. The Prime Minister will have to wait his turn, it would be his   
reward to be a little more patient. The Emperor though could be savored more slowly for   
now. He grinned as the dark chaos in his soul stirred malevolently at the thought.  
  
He will meet with the Prime Minister.  
  
He shall help this country for now.  
  
But when the time comes, he shall stab this country into the darkness he was born to   
and to the immortal death every country fears.  
  
It would be sweet.  
  
  
***  
  
  
A glitch in his system startled him. He never had one of those before. It was a   
small bug and hardly noticeable but he found it, like the persistent itch on the body of a   
living being, this little bug bothered him inside his mind while he searched for the cause   
of his agitation. It was no different than any other bugs that were so common on the net,   
and he approached it without much thought, wanting to squash it fast so he could get back   
to his work. What he didn't expect was that the bug suddenly expanded and tried to bite   
back. Annoyed, he swapped at it and tried to destroy it. He missed but the bug sure   
didn't! So he ended up glaring in frustration and irritation at the bite marks on his   
hand. 'Damn it!' He thought furiously. Outsmarted by a bug!  
  
He clutched his wounded hand and called forth the damage control. Yet, before he   
knew it, he was slammed into a world that was not of his own making. 'Who the hell did   
this?' No one has yet been able to beat him at his own game, except Ami's computer, which   
he couldn't hack into no matter how hard he tried...  
  
'Hello, Core. I believe you have been searching for me on the web. You realize   
that your search if futile. It would be to both our interests if you stopped looking for   
me and concentrate on finding the cure for this virus. I'm sure that your little friend   
Sailor Senshi Mercury is more than ready to help you and she will make up for those that I   
have taken away from you for my own needs. You will not find me through tracing, nor will   
you find me period. My advice Core is that you keep in your territory while I keep in   
mine. Please, don't tempt me to use drastic measures because I have the power to do so.   
Meanwhile, I think there's a little something you might be interested in.' The image of   
the beautiful dark-haired woman with sparkling blue eyes smiled, giving off an aura of   
predatory ferocity that would've scared many. Core glared at the messenger in agitation   
as a file popped up from before him and started to download itself without his permission.   
Evidently, he couldn't stop the download either. 'Don't worry, it's not a bomb and I have   
no intentions of giving you a virus. Just a friendly little reminder to stay out of my   
way. Bye sweet-pea!' Then the image was gone as soon as the downloading was complete.   
The bug disappeared and he looked in wonder at what had just happened. Against her   
warnings, Core did a tracing anyway, and just like Alyssa had promised, he came up with   
nothing. Hesitantly, he opened the package she left in his memory and unraveled the   
'gift' she sent him.  
  
Files upon files of information he never knew existed popped up, if he hadn't been   
so surprised and suspicious he'd be rejoicing! All the information that he had been   
missing had finally been found, all the things that he hadn't been able to locate...  
  
He frowned. What did she mean by Sailor Senshi Mercury being more than willing to   
help? He thought that the Sailor Senshi were just a silly myth in Japan. A myth to give   
Japanese children positive role models to look up to, or at the very least another way for   
the authorities to place blames on the bombings and damages in property that they were   
never able to solve on their own. Core was slightly annoyed at the thought that Alyssa   
had mentioned Sailor Senshi Mercury, how could that be? The only two people that he was   
seriously working with in Japan were Fuma and Ami!  
  
Ami.  
  
He nearly scrambled some of the files he was looking through. Ami?! What the hell   
kind of thought was that? Ami was gentle and caring and didn't have a violent bone in her   
body! Ami who called herself Mercury when they first met...  
  
He paused, reviewed his facts with a slightly disturbed smile. It couldn't be,   
could it? The files poured in. Her school records, videos and phone calls, times spent   
with friends, when she was reported missing or any of those things. Every time she   
disappeared or could not be found on his computer it coincided with the time that reports   
of the Sailor Senshi arrived or showed up wherever it was! He frowned in frustration and   
anger. How did he miss it? How did he miss such big hints! Who else but Ami asked about   
genetic mutation -- probably because she herself was so strange! Who else but Ami   
questioned him on strategy in battles, ranging from the hand-to-hand combat to weaponry   
that hasn't been seen in war for at least a thousand years! Who else but Ami had a   
computer he couldn't crack?  
  
Sailor Senshi Mercury, huh? He was intrigued. He hadn't expected that his contacts   
were all powerful, geniuses yes -- some whose brilliance was never noted -- but not super   
heroines from myths! He frowned deeper. How in the world did this Alyssa Smith know?   
How did she know he was checking up on her? Trying to trace her. How did she know so   
much about him as to place a bug in his presence to get his attention and yet make it   
disappear so he could never do a thorough search for her?  
  
Who the hell was Alyssa Smith, anyway?  
  
Slowly and methodically, Core relaxed his mind, and once again began to pull the   
puzzle pieces before him to solve the greater mystery. Alyssa had warned him not to trace   
her, so, he won't. He'll find out everything about the people she kidnapped and then   
he'll have to have a little chat with both Fuma and Ami -- separately of course! And find   
out how to deal with the blue-haired girl who had matched him in every way up until now!  
  
Core had much to work on and so little time! Time passed -- he lost track of it   
already -- and the cure for the virus was still hanging out on the back burner. Kalic   
hadn't called in while, but that's okay, he was sure that the two weeks aren't up yet.  
  
Core rubbed his eyes as he stretched slowly, physically he knew that his body   
wouldn't be responding to this but he didn't care, he just wanted the answers. He wanted   
them fast. After all, life isn't forever and it's looking particularly bleak and death-  
like now, now that the virus is spreading rapidly!  
  
Ami. Alyssa. Those two women fascinated him! He wondered if he would ever really   
meet any of the two in person. That thought was pushed aside as he prepared once more to   
find the solution to this new global problem.  
  
How do you find a cure to death?  
  
He wondered if that's what those searching for miracle cures in the 1300 had thought   
when they had to deal with the Bubonic Plague. Except it wasn't at such a global scale   
back then, the transportation wasn't as good. He grimly looked over the reports again as   
he read over the 'gift' that Alyssa Smith had left for him through her little bug. It   
will help. Information always helps.  
  
He clicked through the barriers and passed the 'gift' to Ami, or Sailor Senshi   
Mercury, whoever she was. And waited. Ami will know what to do with it without   
instructions, and after a cure is found, he'll talk to her about her role as a senshi   
then. For now, though, he'll worry only about the disease and how to wipe it out as   
thoroughly as it had done for 1% of the global population! For now, he must concentrate   
on the virus.  
  
For now he must forget that sometimes Core was a man and not just a machine out to   
find the answers of the world that others would never be able to discover.  
  
The answer to eliminating CHAOS.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Minako paused before window of the store at downtown Tokyo. Behind her a blond-  
haired man glanced nervously about and stepped aside from the glass pane. She had been   
having a wonderful night. After her talk with Rei the day before, she arrived home to   
receive a phone-call from "a boy" as her mother had put it. It was Kuragari Fuma himself!   
And he was not just a mere boy as her mother had thought him to be. When he came to pick   
her up the next day she was ready in her turtleneck black dress and white jacket, ready to   
knock the guy off of his feet (after all, she 'is' the senshi of love and justice!). He   
smiled at her warmly the moment he saw her and boy was she surprised that he offered her   
his arm and then walked her down the steps to an empty drive way. She was just glad she   
wore white sneakers instead of heels because her feet would be killing her by now if she   
didn't! "Let's save the environment and take the subway." Fuma suggested with a grin and   
not a blush in embarrassment for his lack in the wheels department. It wasn't that Fuma   
didn't know how to drive -- after all, he was the one who used to be able to do the   
dangerous turns that make hot little cars purr in satisfaction -- it was just that when   
you're dealing with a machine like that, you actually need substance to move the wheel.   
Whereas if you take the sub, as long as the doors don't close on him, he'd be fine!  
  
"Where are we going for dinner than?" She asked, a little skeptical about the night   
that was to come.  
  
"To this wonderful restaurant near the Diet Building, and as much as those places   
close to the government are busy, this place is definitely worth it!" Fuma told her with   
an enthusiastic smile. Yeah, definitely worth it since it's so expensive too! Fuma   
grumbled in his mind, but who was he to complain? He had no other uses for the money they   
had for him in the bank.  
  
By the time they reached the station, Minako was having second thoughts. She had   
never gone on a serious date, not like this. Oh, she had dreamed about it, planned and   
plotted and schemed for what it would be like to fall in love! To 'date' the man of her   
dreams, to run away in the middle of the night to forbidden rendezvous! What normal   
teenage girl wouldn't? But, never had she dreamed that this is where she'd end up when   
she found someone who might be Mr. Right, as the Americans were so fond of calling, a name   
that her old school mates in England used to tease her about.  
  
Here she was, on the subway, on her way to the heart of Tokyo -- not to mention on   
foot up to now -- and nothing going as she had planned! No hot sport car to pick her up,   
no fancy dress-shirt to impress her, not even a few roses or at least a daisy to show a   
sign of woeful love! If she had originally thought that this 'date' would be romantic,   
she was seriously having doubts now! Minako sighed in distress, why couldn't she be the   
one with the thoughtful and sensitive lover that Rei had -- even if Rei was unwilling to   
accept it -- why did she have to be stuck with this blond, handsome, insensitive,   
brilliant, arrogant, beautiful...  
  
She gave up! She had tried to rationalize that this young man, who called himself   
Kuragari Fuma was bad news from the moment he suggested that they 'walk' to the subway and   
'walk' to the restaurant, instead of driving her there, but it didn't work! Why did she   
keep adding so many nice, wonderful, charming adjectives whenever she thought about him,   
no matter how irked she was at his behavior? This confounded her and confused her to no   
ends. Not once, has she ever fallen...  
  
She paused, with a sheepish grin at the thought. Okay, so maybe she was in this   
type of a situation a few times, falling for a boy without thought! But, never had she   
actually stuck around long enough to catch a date -- so what if the boy never asked? --   
she couldn't believe that this was how her 'dream-date' turned out! What agitated her   
even more was that Rei would probably be laughing away if the dark-haired girl ever caught   
wind of this -- along with the other senshi! She'd be mortified!  
  
"Minako?" Snapping out of her dark thoughts, she snapped her angry eyes to him.   
"Daijoubu-yo?" Fuma asked uneasily. She had been so silent through the entire time they   
walked. It was unlike her to be so, she was bright and sunny the day he met her and   
reports had told him that this was true, yet the angry cloud that hung over her startled   
him. Was he the cause of this? Fuma frowned at this though, before deciding against   
being too obvious.  
  
She opened her mouth to retort in sarcasm but then stopped herself abruptly at the   
worry in his eyes. 'Minako-chan, you're always over-reacting.' The voice of Rei echoed   
in her head. 'Why can't you be serious for once about anything instead of just boys,   
Mina?' Artemis once asked her in exasperation as he clung to her shoulder while they   
raced down the streets to get to her school on time -- joined by Usagi on the way, of   
course!  
  
I can be serious! I can avoid over-reacting! I can appreciate this first date even   
if it has nothing to do with what I have been envisioning since I was but a child! She   
was determined to prove to everyone that she can handle her 'childishness'. "I'm fine."   
She said with a grin that melted away the darkness in his eyes. "Just thinking..."   
Brilliant comeback, Minako! She almost scowled again, but stopped herself in time.  
  
The train stopped then and as they stepped onto the stone platform Minako was having   
her doubts come back full force. What if this Kuragari Fuma really was a weirdo? What if   
he's trying to kidnap her? Well, she'll show him who he's dealing with! No one can try   
to--  
  
They paused when he put a hand on her shoulder, startled she turned around, ready to   
fend him off. Fuma looked to her slightly amused, "We are here." He told her with a   
raised golden brow that sent her blushing in embarrassment.  
  
She turned and her mouth dropped open in surprise. The "restaurant" he mentioned   
was 'the' restaurant that famous politicians usually went to. It's elegant sign was   
sprawled in elegant kanji "Rain Tree", Rei's restaurant, the one that the dark-haired girl   
shared with the infamous Kagemi Kaidou. Rei's first love and her last it had seemed,   
until the appearance of Kaidou's brother -- whom she never even knew existed until the day   
before -- Kagemi Hiketsu. "That's the restaurant you're taking me to?" She asked in   
surprised bewilderment, as she stared at him and then the restaurant in disbelief.  
  
Sighing in confusion at her behavior so far, he shrugged in slight agitation, "No,   
it's the one across the street." He replied sarcastically.  
  
She turned her blonde head to survey the surrounding buildings and gaped at him once   
more, "You're going to take me eating at McDonalds?" She exclaimed in surprise, though   
slightly pleased. In Japan, the American fast-food industry was thriving, even though it   
cost a lot more than it would've overseas.  
  
"No!" He sighed in exasperation before gripping her just below the elbow and   
turning her toward Rain Tree. Upon entering, Minako finally pulled her gaze away from the   
enticing sign of the American fast-food restaurant.  
  
"Na ni yo, Fuma-kun?" She complained. "Why can't you make up your mind on which   
restaurant to go to?"  
  
Fuma glowered a little as he reached the reception. "Kuragari, table for two." He   
grumbled to the startled waitress behind the desk who nodded enthusiastically in   
affirmation before leading them down the aisle.  
  
Minako, finally realizing her error, turned bright red in embarrassment. She wanted   
to apologize for her earlier behavior but didn't know quite how to phrase it without   
making herself look like an idiot. 'Too late now, Minako-baka!' Her conscience told her   
mockingly. After thoroughly beating that part of her mind into submission and silence,   
Minako viewed the restaurant around them with a sense of awe. "So, this is where Rei-chan   
went on her birthdays with Kaidou-san." She muttered to herself.  
  
"Hmm?" Fuma asked, finally speaking to her again after the silence of their arrival   
at the table.  
  
Okay, so maybe it was not qualified as a word, but he grunted a response, didn't he?   
Minako smiled relieved, "I was... well..." she stumbled and then took a deep breath under   
his amused gaze. "Gomen nasai!" She finally blurted out and then blushed bright red at   
her own outburst.  
  
"For what?" Fuma asked, though she was sure that he was purposely doing this to   
humiliate her. Sighing in defeat and knowing she deserved it for the way she's been   
acting in the last hour, she mumbled a reply. "Na ni? What did you say?" Fuma asked as   
he leaned over the table, though his sensors caught every word that she's been saying.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry for acting like a baka for the last hour. When you suggested that   
we take the subway to downtown Tokyo, I thought you were going to take me to somewhere...   
urrr... you know." She began to mumble again.  
  
Smiling slightly at her blush and her mumbled apology, he reached over the table and   
grasped her hands. "Daijoubu-yo Minako. I understand." He told her with a soft smile.  
  
Immediately she perked up at the genuine warmth of his expression, her whole   
personality seeming to change from gloom to humorous submission. "I was a baka wasn't   
I?" Minako asked with a laugh. Her whole face lighting up with a mega-watt smile.  
  
Fuma blinked, startled at the sudden change of mood, before his smile returned and   
he held her hand tighter. "Hai, but a beautiful one." She blushed again at the comment   
and was saved from replying because that was when the waiter came to take their order.  
  
Sighing in relief she watched Fuma order and ask the waiter questions about some of   
the meals offered on the menu. A smile of gratitude fell upon her lips as she studied the   
man before her. True, he had made her blush more in one day than any boy had done in the   
last year, but that didn't mean anything, did it? Yet, her smile stayed on her lips   
throughout the dinner and when he returned her gaze she felt her heartbeat accelerate and   
her face flush. No longer was she sure if she was so red this evening because of her   
embarrassment or her pleasure. But she won't forget this night for a long time to come,   
since it was the beginning of her first love with a man who had found her to be   
irresistible!  
  
  
  
Minako sighed as she leaned against her bedroom door. She had sneaked into the   
house but moments ago. It was past eleven and she still had the memory of his warm hand   
on hers. There was an acceptance and understanding in his eyes that she had not found in   
anyone else, except the senshi. Artemis was already curled up in a ball at the foot of   
her bed, asleep. That cat had gotten a lot lazier than he should in the last few years   
and now he slept like the dead! She could slip into bed without him even noticing! But   
who was she to kid? Artemis had been so busy these days with Luna at Central Control, and   
the research those two were doing was draining for them both. Every night, Minako would   
find Artemis trudge back to her house exhausted and not very conversational, drop onto her   
bed and fall asleep as if there was no tomorrow! When she woke up in the morning, he   
would be gone, not bothering to see if she'd wake up in time for school. It bothered her,   
but she couldn't complain. They were all stressed and working to find the answers to what   
had been going on lately and not all of them were available anymore.  
  
The Outers.  
  
She narrowed her eyes slightly at that, refusing to let her guilt be her guide this   
time. True, they should've told them sooner, but contact between them had been scarce and   
the Outers had avoided giving them information before! They never split the team because   
the Outers won't give them any information! This will make them weaker and she hated them   
for it.  
  
Minako sighed and shooked her head. No, no, she shouldn't blame them for   
everything. The blonde sat down beside her window to look at the stars above. Tomorrow   
is another day and maybe Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru would return to them. Maybe   
they will be able to change things tomorrow. She shouldn't think like this, for these are   
the thoughts that will tear them apart. Smiling slightly, she remembered the few hours of   
distraction that Fuma was able to provide for her, the hours that allowed her to get   
passed her own stubborn pride. "Thank you." She whispered to the one star that she had   
been wishing on since childhood.  
  
She headed for bed with the image of his smile bidding her goodnight and just before   
she closed her eyes she remembered the promise she made to Ami to tell their secrets to   
their closest relatives and friends. Tomorrow. She thought. Tomorrow I will tell okaa-  
san and outo-san what I have become. Before she could think further, she fell into an   
exhausted sleep.  
  
A shadow fell back from the shade of the tree outside. Stepping out into the   
moonlight, his golden hair gleamed under the pure white light. "Till tomorrow, love-  
child." With that, he vanished into the light.  
  
Goodnight.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Her legs dangled from the tall building. Below her the lights of the city shone,   
breaking through the night. She could see many of the apartment buildings, offices, and   
the people and cars that milled beneath her. Once, this place was her sanctuary and now   
she returned to its familiarity, to think and not to escape her troubles. Michiru,   
Setsuna and Hotaru would be waiting for her at home, or perhaps they had already left   
Japan. She clutched her fist in anger as she thought about the decision they had put upon   
her.  
  
How dared they make her choose between her loyalty and her duty! How dared they?   
She trembled as she brought her black-gloved hand to her face. "Michiru." The aqua-  
haired woman gave those gloves to her as a Christmas present. She knew! She knew and she   
still-- Haruka shook with rage and pain. "How could you?"  
  
There was a distant buzz and whipping her head up startled she saw those same aqua   
eyes bore down at her. "Leave me alone!" She screamed as she waved her hands for the   
other to leave. Yet, the helicopter approached her and she shook as she gripped the   
nearest rail tightly. How did Michiru know where to find her?  
  
She should've known that she could keep no secrets from her lover, and Michiru knew   
all the right buttons to push. Her hand gripped harder on the rail, unsure if she was   
trying to keep steady at the force of the wind that the helicopter was creating or from   
keeping her body from flinging itself toward the other. Her free hand shielded her face   
as her clothing whipped around her, viciously responding to the raising wind. Before her   
was the one woman that could ask her to choose to lose everything that she had been   
building all of her life -- over all of the morals she ever fought under -- and still   
possess her heart entirely. Her free hand clenched into an unforgiving fist. "Damn you,   
Michiru!" She whispered. The helicopter roared past her and onto the launch pad a few   
meters away. The air around her calmed slightly, but the buzzing of the helicopter and   
the slight push of the winds on her back told her that Michiru had not left her, that   
Michiru was waiting.  
  
Haruka stood upon the tall building, contemplating if she should jump down to the   
millions of people below. Fall into them and no longer be possessed, no longer be trapped   
by her love. She couldn't do it. Michiru needed her now. She was still useful to the   
team. Bitterly she stayed there, her eyes turning hard into icy-blue at the thoughts that   
churned in her heart, making her feel the anger of betrayal over and over again. Yet,   
with Michiru so near, the feeling ebbed, slowly fading away to numbness. Stubbornly, she   
refused to turn to the inviting arms that would await her and called to her from the   
hypnotic buzz of the helicopter engine. The minutes ticked by and only the sound of the   
wind now whispered to her ears, the great noise of the city faded and Haruka's own eyes   
clouded slightly with tears and memories. She made her choice a long time ago on who it   
was she would follow, and who it was that she loved.  
  
The tall blonde turned from the edge of the building and descended onto the platform   
of the roof and headed for the machine that held the one person whose loss would mean her   
death. "Michiru." Her voice was husky and filled with pain and anger. Pain at the   
choice she was about to make and anger at herself for making it. "I will come with you."   
She finally said when she reached the other woman.  
  
Michiru did not smile, only searched her eyes with earnest sadness that surprised   
her. "I'm glad." That was all the other woman said before she threw Haruka one of the   
communication headphones. Turning, Michiru's aqua-hair swirl around her shoulders like   
waves lapsing onto the beach.  
  
She was glad.  
  
For now, Haruka was content with that as the only reward for her sacrifice.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Minako paced in front of the living room, feeling the silent eyes of her mother   
staring into her back. Her mother, the burden of her life, how will she tell this woman   
the one thing that she knew the other would never be able to understand? After all, elder   
Aino didn't approve of Minako's goal to become a super star, elder Aino didn't approve of   
Minako's grades, and elder Aino especially didn't approve of Aino Minako in general.   
Maybe it was because she klutzed out as many times as Usagi was likely to do. Maybe it   
was because of her laziness that she had acquired after leaving England. Maybe it was   
Artemis, the cat that her mother was forever complaining about. Maybe it was because they   
were in Japan and her mother would rather return to England...  
  
Too many maybes and her mother was getting impatient. But what would mother know?   
She was a housewife after all. She didn't have the dreams of independence that Minako   
had! She wouldn't understand! The door clicked open as a tall blond man walked in.   
  
"Tou-chan." She whispered, her face turning ashen.  
  
She should've told mother about her identity sooner. Now, there were two adults to   
tell her secrets to instead of just one! "Hoto-chan, our daughter apparently has   
something to tell us. Though she has been wearing a hole in the carpet for the last five   
minutes before you arrived." Her mother said with a sigh and a roll of her own blue-eyes.  
  
Hoto smiled as he walked in and patted his daughter on the head. "What is it that   
you wish to tell us Minako-chan?" Her father asked with a good-natured grin.  
  
Why was she dreading this? Because, no matter how much she hated to admit, she   
wanted her mother to accept who she was and had become. She wanted approval and love from   
her parents, even when she was annoyed at them at levels that cannot be expressed! She   
wanted-- she wanted them to be proud of her! Was it so much to ask? She stepped back   
from under her father's hand and looked to the ground. "There is something that I must   
show you." She told them solemnly.  
  
"Minako-chan?" Her father was now worried at his daughter's serious tone. Minako   
was always so happy nowadays, he hadn't seen her this serious since the day she came home   
with that cat and told them that she was going to keep it. There were moments, yes, when   
he thought he caught a glimpse of Minako in pain or despair, but they never lasted nor did   
his memories of them ever being there. "What is it?"  
  
She suddenly faced them. There was a strained smile on her face as she clutched her   
hands behind her back. "I'm a Sailor Senshi!" She told them all the while smiling.  
  
"Minako-chan, what are you trying to pull?" Her mother asked surprised and a little   
more exasperated at her daughter than she usually was.  
  
"But, I am a Sailor Senshi, I used to be Sailor V before I met the others! Now, I'm   
Sailor Venus, leader of the senshi!" She exclaimed.  
  
"I don't see a difference..." Hoto said confused.  
  
"What are you trying to pull, Minako?" Elder Aino asked, now getting very angry.   
"Does this have to do with that boy you've been seeing? I'm telling you now you are not   
to see him again if he's such a bad influence to you! Not only have your grades dropped   
but--"  
  
"I am Sailor Senshi Venus and I'll prove it to you!" Minako screamed angrily as her   
hand grasped around the wand behind her back. She extended her hand and they saw the   
strange hilt. "Venus Crystal Power, Make-UP!" The light engulfed her and burst into   
golden array of colors.  
  
Her parents stood gaping at her once the lights disappeared and their before them   
stood a woman, not their little girl who got stars in her eyes when she talked about boys,   
or the innocent blonde who tripped over invisible cracks in the ground and messed up her   
room. "Who are you?" Elder Aino gasped finally.  
  
Sailor Venus blinked back the tears that she had in her eyes as her face hardened at   
the question. "I am a soldier and a protector of her highness Queen Neo-Serenity, and of   
the new era Crystal Tokyo." But when the words were out, her strength broke. With that   
she ran with inhuman speed, out to the back of her house, through the yard and jumping   
over rooftops until she finally stopped when she was miles away from her home. She panted   
as she leaned against a wall of the alley she was in, before finally giving in to the   
tears that she had been hiding inside since her parents called her crazy and then a   
stranger. Why couldn't they understand who she was? Who she had become? Why couldn't   
they be proud of her for one time in her life? There were no answers to her questions,   
only the sound of her rapid gasps of breaths and the splashing of her tears onto the dull-  
grey pavement.  
  
And she hated herself because now she was questioning all of her dreams and all that   
she fought for throughout the years of her teenage days.  
  
Was it worth it, Minako-chan? To lose everything?  
  
She had no answer to the secret question within her heart, and all she could do was   
weep in angry despair at the choices she had to make and the consequences she had to face.   
Not my choice she wanted to scream to the world, but the world never listened.  
  
Ashamed, that's what she was. Ashamed to think such dirty thoughts. When did she   
sink so low as to want to believe in a lie? But which was the lie? The question scared   
her and she pushed it away violently. For Aino Minako didn't know the answer, and that   
scared her more than anything else she had ever had to face.  
  
Her secret darkness.  
  
'Who are you?' Her mother's voice echoed in her head and in that moment, she wanted   
to answer with all her heart the one thing that she knew would always be true no matter   
who she becomes and who she ever will be.  
  
"I'm your daughter, okaa-san."  
  
And then the tears begun to cascade down passed her hands that covered her shamed   
face, falling through the cracks of her fingers. Tell me, she pleaded to the invisible   
Venus in the sunlit sky, that I'll always be Aino Minako, your daughter.  
  
  
  
Makoto stood, leaning against the wooden beams of the gazebo. Her emerald eyes   
gleamed under the dimming sunlight as she watched the night approached with a dark-blue   
cloak, sparkling with infinite stars. Her one hand rested on the slender rail that   
supported her weight as she gazed into the night. "Sempai..." she whispered to herself as   
she looked to the sky. Here was where she always came to when she needed time to herself,   
here was where her memories lay buried after all these years. Here was where he had left   
her in the rain with a goodbye in her ear and a last kiss on her lips.  
  
A boy, he was no more than a boy then, and he had left her for reasons he had never   
explained. Her friends were always so exasperated whenever she mentioned him, but how   
could she help it? She saw him everywhere, and whenever she came here to remember, to   
hold the pain and the love so much closer to her heart, she would see him and feel his   
breath on her ear and his kiss on her lips. The others didn't understand this, but she   
didn't mind. They wouldn't understand this from her, not even Usagi. The odango-blonde   
had Mamoru after all and so how could she know what it was like to long for a dream lover,   
who appeared and then quickly disappeared from your life at the time you were most   
vulnerable? How could she describe to them the one thing that she, herself, did not   
understand?  
  
Sighing, she closed her eyes and for once longed to have someone to share her   
secrets with. A flutter startled her out of her revery as she saw a white dove regard her   
with black eyes that seemed almost intelligent. She smiled at the beautiful creature, her   
eyes lighting in amazement and joy. "Kawaii!" She whispered in amazement under her   
breath.  
  
The dove ruffled its plumage and smoothed back whatever feathers had strayed before   
returning to gaze back at her. Shaking her head, and knowing herself to be crazy, she   
opened her hand to it. "Komban wa, little one. I'm Sailor Senshi Jupiter. A protector   
of Earth, a champion of justice and a senshi in the court of High Queen Neo-Serenity."  
  
The dove's only reply was a soft coo before expanding its wings and landing onto her   
shoulder, rubbing against her cheek. Laughing in delight, Makoto held it in her hands,   
giggling all along. "Daijoubu, daijoubu-yo, little one! It's nice to meet you too!" She   
continued to giggle and for the first time in a long while, she added another memory to   
the ancient structure of the gazebo she resided within.  
  
One day, I will return here and it will bring me you, my other family. Yet, for   
now, the coo of the dove relaxed her and she remembered the smile of her father and the   
touch of her mother's dry hands on her feverish cheek. The smell of fresh cinnamon filled   
her mind with memories and the soft, unfamiliar song of the call of the dove lulled her.   
The stars were coming out and she looked on into the night with a sigh on her lips.  
  
Someday, my star will come and make all my broken memories into dreams again. And   
maybe, just maybe, they'll come true too.   
  
  
  
If someone had told Ami that she would be doing this today, of all days, she   
would've told her that they were crazy. If Luna came to her before she met Usagi, she   
would've thought herself crazy for responding to a talking cat at all! She, Mizuno Ami,   
outcast since she started school, had become so desperate that she hallucinated a cat   
talking to her during cram school. She would've written it off as stress and never taken   
a second look back!  
  
Yet, she didn't do any of those things when Luna did indeed talk to her. Whether it   
was because she had seen Usagi turn into Sailor Moon before her very eyes, or simply   
because there was a monster ready to split her head from her shoulders, she wasn't sure.   
Maybe it had to do with the burning sensation on her forehead that reminded her of a   
feeling of longing for--  
  
"Ami-chan? What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Her mother asked her   
worriedly. Apparently she had stayed silent too long, and her stalling techniques were   
more than rusty.  
  
"Kaa-san," she paused, trying to find the words to tell her mother that her timid   
and studious daughter was a warrior. And not just any warrior, a Sailor Senshi -- Sailor   
Mercury to be exact -- the stuff of legends and children's fantasies! Her mother nodded   
in acknowledgement, waiting for her to continue. "I- I have to..." she trailed off again   
and shook her head with a bitter laugh. "I came up with this idea and 'I' can't even   
carry it out!"  
  
Her mother looked more confused and worried than ever. "Carry out what Ami-chan?   
What plan did you come up with."  
  
Seeing that there's no graceful way of telling the truth, Ami rose from her seat and   
walked to the window. "Kaa-san, do you remember when I was little and I came home from   
school after a bad day, you'd stay behind and bake cookies with me?"  
  
Startled, the older woman could only nod her head at Ami's back. "Hai, Ami-chan.   
What does that have to do with anything?"  
  
As if she hadn't heard her question, Ami pushed on. Praying that she didn't lose   
her courage before the truth came out into the open. "You used to say, 'Ami-chan, you're   
special no matter what anyone tells you, don't you forget that! Because no matter what   
anyone thinks, you're my daughter and, to me, you'll always be special.'" Ami sighed at   
the memories, leaving her mother confused and startled that her daughter still remembered   
days that the older woman thought only she could cherish, alone. "I hope, after tonight,   
you will still think that of me, kaa-san. I hope you will..." Ami didn't know what else   
to say.  
  
"What is it Ami-chan? What's wrong? Talk to me mon petit poisson!" Her mother   
urged. She stiffened at the nickname, okaa-san seemed to be using it more and more these   
days. Ami still wasn't sure why, or if the older woman already guessed.  
  
"Mother I'm--" she cut herself off again and finally turned to her mom after closing   
the curtains to the window. Here was the one person who had been there for her since her   
father abandoned both of them, the first person to have loved her so unconditionally, even   
before she met the other senshi. She felt her wand weigh heavily in her hands like it had   
not done so since she first became Sailor Senshi Mercury. It was a burden, she realized,   
that she must bear. "Let me show you my secret." Ami finally said as she brought forth   
the wand of Mercury and called forth her transformation.  
  
Her mother gaped as her daughter was engulfed by fog and water. Tears misted her   
eyes as she watched the blue-haired little girl who had always been so silent and studious   
turn into the woman that she had always known Ami had within herself to be. "Ami-  
chan..." she whispered when the powers died down and contained itself within the fragile   
little body that was her daughter's. The fragile body and soul that must have kept a   
million secrets from her! Why? That was the first question that any parent will ask when   
they discover that their children had grown and changed. That here was a stranger and   
yet, a soul so close to the heart, it was hard to reject this stranger. Mizuno dampened   
down her sense of betrayal and instead let the joyful and proud smile light her face. She   
banished the ghost of her feelings of mistrust and stood, stumbling slightly without her   
usual grace before she reached her daughter. Overwhelmed with emotions unspoken, she did   
the only thing that a mother knows how. She reached out and clasped the girl before her   
who had those uncertain fearful eyes of worry, like she had held her when she first gave   
birth to her little daughter and whispered the words she whispered those years before   
because it was true than and it was true now, more than ever. "I love you."  
  
Sailor Mercury's eyes widened in surprise before they too misted, turning into   
infinite azure depths. She clasped tightly to her mother and wept the tears that she had   
been holding back, the tears that cleansed all of her doubts and fears that she had been   
hiding. "I love you too, kaa-san."  
  
The two women held each other tightly, crying in relief. For, after all, each had   
come close to losing the other and relief can be just as overwhelming as pain. Yet, it   
was for the best for both of them, since mother and daughter had never been so honest and   
so close since the day Mizuno Ami's father walked out, both so fearful of rejection that   
they had grown distant. And now, having revealed her secret identity, Mercury had finally   
closed the widening gap between them and for the first time in years, she cried in her   
mother's arms in joy.  
  
  
  
Rei knocked softly on her grandfather's door before hearing his soft voice come   
through the papered screens. "Come in!" He called. Hesitating slightly before she   
pushed the door open, she saw her ojii-san sitting at the low table, sipping tea and   
reading over some books on budgeting.  
  
"Ojii-san." She said, bowing respectfully before rising.  
  
Surprised, the blond-haired man blinked at her. "So serious today are we Rei-  
chan?" He asked with a grin as he beckoned her to join him.  
  
She did not sit on the other side of the low table as she had often done, instead   
she knelt before him and bowed in a bow of the deepest respect, almost shame. "Rei-chan!   
What ever are you doing that for?" Her ojii-san exclaimed in displeasure as he reached   
forth and brought her up to eye level once more. "I don't like how you are abasing   
yourself like that in front of me!" He scowled at her.  
  
Rei smiled at her ojii-san as she gently removed his hands from her shoulder.   
"Daijoubu yo ojii-san, I have come to ask for your forgiveness."  
  
"Forgiveness?" Taken aback by her enigmatic statement, the blond-haired man looked   
intrigued and motioned her to her usual place at the table. "For what?"  
  
Rei settled and looked at her grandfather from across the table, her hands on her   
lap gripped her miko robes, crumpling the material beneath her fists. Yet, her face   
remained calm and sad as she forced herself to say what she had hidden from him all these   
years. She felt ashamed, especially after all the things her ojii-san had done for her   
after her father's abandonment of his own child at the temple steps, that she had kept   
such a big secret from him. Her ojii-san. Who always acted cheerfully and mischievously,   
flirting with the girls that frequented the temple grounds buying charms while acting like   
a silly old hentai. She owed him so much, is this how she will repay him for all his   
kindness?  
  
She took a deep, slow breath, releasing it as she desperately tried to calm her   
racing heart. "Ojii-san," she paused as she tried to find the words to speak the truth.   
He looked back at her expectantly. She never thought this day would come, a day when Hino   
Rei would be afraid to speak her mind and tell the truth. Deception was not something   
that she was good at, but she had kept her secrets and now, she must let them go. She   
closed her eyes to the clear-grey eyes of her grandfather and tightened her hold on her   
robes. "I am a Sailor Senshi. I have been one for the past four years and have been   
destined to be one for eternity." She looked away to the opened window of her   
grandfather's study, only to see the expectant eyes of Phobos and Deimos. Her guardians   
silently encouraged her to tell all to the one man in her life that had never let her   
down. "I am the resurrected soldier of a kingdom long ago, known as the Silver   
Millennium. It was a kingdom of peace before the war of an evil Sorceress came to destroy   
us all. She was power hungry and corrupted by an evil entity known as Metallia. They   
ravaged the kingdom before the High-Queen Serenity banished their forces and sealed them   
away. In her last act, Queen Serenity sent her children to the distant future, to Earth,   
so that we may know peace." Rei paused as she finally turned to the solemn eyes of her   
ojii-san. "I am known as Hino Rei on Earth, but I am also the soldier of Mars, Sailor   
Senshi Mars, and a protector of High-Princess Serenity..."  
  
"You are Rei, the little girl who came here at age six to start grade-school. Who   
was a mystery the moment you were born. The little girl who your mother doted on and your   
father scorned because you are the image of the woman he could never have again." Her   
ojii-san interrupted. "You are Hino Rei, the essence of the flames. Who found friends in   
two crows and could speak to the ancient and sacred fire. You are my granddaughter, who   
has lost her way along the many battles you have fought to get here. And most of all, you   
are a miko who has learned the secrets of the Earth and her beauty, who can understand the   
wonders of the world. I have always known that you did not belong to me, my little miko.   
I had known one day you would fly away to where you belong, because that is your destiny.   
But somewhere along the line you have forgotten who you are, and your destiny -- as well   
as your past and future -- confused you on who you have become and who you wish to be."   
Rei blinked in surprise as her grandfather reached across the table and lifted one of her   
hands from her lap. He looked into her eyes as he spoke words that she will never again   
forget. "You are Hino Rei. Yes, a Sailor Senshi. Yes, a protector of Earth and her   
peace. Yes, a miko and a priestess. But you are Hino Rei. A girl who is growing to a   
woman, and a woman who is learning to be strong. You are Hino Rei, and you will become a   
woman who no longer fights only in the name of love, but one who is no longer afraid of it   
herself, who is no longer afraid of love."  
  
Tears came to her eyes as she tightened the grip on her grandfather's hand. "I am   
no such woman, ojii-san." She said softly in reply.  
  
"Ah, but you are, my Rei-chan. You are a woman who will find your way again. You   
are a woman who holds love like a fiery flame in her heart if only she would realize that   
such a flame will never truly burn unless given the chance to shine. A woman who wants a   
man who will not be timid about the ways of the flames and will not flinch when burned and   
will not leave when scorned! You are Hino Rei, who is the woman that your mother could   
have been and never became." Her grandfather's calloused hands, hardened from years of   
hard labor and care of the wooden walls that surrounded her, brushed away the tears that   
fell from her onyx eyes. "You are the mysterious flame, bold and free, forever longing   
and forever demanding those longings to be met with satisfaction."  
  
"But," she sighed. "I am fearful of the future and fearful of love. I cannot   
possibly be any of those things."  
  
"I have watched you since you were but a child and now, I can see those flames in   
your eyes. Rei-chan, you would've made your mother so very proud! I know, because at   
this moment, I would not wish for any other granddaughter than one as you." Rei looked to   
those grey eyes, eyes of mist and rainy days, eyes that have seen much and expressed much   
more.  
  
She smiled as she opened the palm of her other hand, grasping the jeweled hilt of   
her transformation pen. "Let me show you a secret." She told him, her eyes sparkling   
with light. Soon the fire engulfed her as her ojii-san watched with eyes amazed at the   
blazing flames that will never die in the heart of the child he loved. There before him   
stood a woman dressed in white and red, fire burning in her eyes as the air seemed to   
crackle with heat in her presence. "I am Sailor Senshi Mars, Hino Rei." She told him   
with a smile before falling to her knees beside him and hugging him fiercely. "Arigato,   
ojii-san. For understanding."  
  
He smiled as he returned the hug, emotions finally spilling from his own eyes as he   
thought how much she really did look like her mother. And how much she obtained the fire   
in her heart that her mother had never been able to keep alive.  
  
My daughter, if only you could see our little miko now! How proud she has made me,   
how proud she has made us all!  
  
"No, Rei-chan. Thank you."  
  
For being the essence of the flames... my other daughter.  
  
  
  
Usagi clutched onto Mamoru's hand tighter, making the dark-haired prince wince   
inwardly in pain. He said nothing, knowing that Usagi needed his presence to comfort and   
calm her, though he'd wish she wasn't putting a death grip on his poor and innocent hand   
so that he could at least try to flex his fingers again! "Daijoubu Usako?" He gasped   
out, trying desperately not to wince.  
  
"Hai, hai!" She replied nervously.  
  
"Don't lie," Mamoru answered with a frown as she gasped in surprise, turning to him   
with narrowed eyes.  
  
"I'm not lying!" She told him, tightening her grip.  
  
Mamoru didn't even think it was possible that Usagi could tighten her grip anymore   
without crushing a few bones, but he was wrong. She could without breaking a bone in his   
hand. Only, he couldn't vouch for his nerves and the condition they would be in by   
tomorrow! There goes his free time! At this rate he'll never gain enough sensation to   
finish the paper work he had on his desk at home, at least not without being in serious   
pain! "Yeah, tell that to the hand you're crushing." Mamoru muttered sarcastically.  
  
Usagi had the grace to blush before dropping his hand as if it were diseased.   
"Don't tease!" She told him haughtily.  
  
"You know Usako, we should go into your house. We've been standing at the gate for   
at least half-an-hour now and I think you're father's been giving me the evil eye since he   
came to the window to spy on us." Mamoru sighed as he leaned against the brick wall that   
lined the entrance to her house.  
  
"Na ni?" Usagi asked surprised as she peered over the fence to see a glaring   
Tuskino Kenji who was looking past her at Mamoru. Embarrassed, Usagi laughed nervously at   
the display of displeasure between the two most important men in her life. "I guess we   
should go in then."  
  
Mamoru sighed, slightly exasperated, but decided that Usagi had a right to feel this   
way. She dragged him all the way here from the park so that she wouldn't feel alone when   
she revealed her secret to her family, but she was pushing it now. Kenji had wanted   
Mamoru's head on a platter the day he caught them kissing at the gates. Now, Mamoru was   
walking on eggshells whenever he came in the presence of the older man.  
  
For all the youma, generals, and evil-doers of the universe, there was no one Mamoru   
feared more than Tuskino Kenji, who returned the feeling! "Usako, you'll be fine," he   
told her softly. She turned to him and smiled, now the distance between them became so   
close that he only needed to...  
  
"Chiba Mamoru! You kiss my daughter before me now, and I swear I'll make sure those   
lips won't be there by tomorrow morning to touch another human being ever again!" Kenji   
yelled from the front door, as his exasperated wife held him back with a scowl on her   
face.  
  
"Tuskino Kenji, if you yell any louder, the neighbors will wonder what's going on.   
And let me tell you mister, that if you dare lay a finger on that boy you'll never set   
foot in 'our' bedroom, again! Got that?" Tuskino Ikuko asked with a sweet and forceful   
smile that had Kenji sweating. Usagi's mother was still recovering from her bout with the   
'flu' of Tokyo, but she was getting better at asserting her firm control over the family   
once more.  
  
'And so the proud man falls.' Mamoru thought in amusement but did not smile,   
knowing that it would only lead to very unpleasant situations. "Mama, Papa!" Usagi   
called out finally and stepped from through the gate of her home. "I have something to   
tell you! I'm--"  
  
"Not here Usako!" Mamoru interrupted her, as he set a hand on her shoulder.  
  
The young blonde blushed prettily and led him toward the house. Kenji stood against   
the taller prince and told him coldly, "Don't think you can set foot in my ho--"  
  
"Kenji-kun." Ikuko interrupted her husband's ranting with a sweet, yet threatening   
voice that immediately shut up her husband, though it didn't stop the other from glaring   
at Mamoru.  
  
They walked in tense silence into the Tuskino's living room where the two couples   
sat down opposite one another. "Where's Shingo-ko?" Usagi asked just as the brown-haired   
teenager walked in to see two solemn couples staring up to him in surprise.  
  
"Na ni? What's with all the gloomy faces?" Shingo asked with equal surprise.  
  
"There's something I have to tell you, all of you." Usagi said softly.  
  
Shingo raised a brow in amusement as Mamoru laced his fingers with Usagi in silent   
encouragement. "Did you get pregnant or something?" Shingo asked in suspicion.  
  
Usagi and Mamoru blushed considerably. Ikuko looked startled but not too upset,   
though her husband looked as if he was ready to load the shotgun and blow a casket -- or   
in Mamoru's case, the dark-haired man's head... "No!" Mamoru exclaimed. "We're not   
doing that until we get married!" The dark-haired prince suddenly fell silent and turned   
a considerable shade of red.  
  
Shingo grinned sarcastically. "Yeah right!" Before a look from Ikuko froze Shingo   
as well from going further. "Shish, didn't need to get worked up about it!" Usagi's   
brother muttered under his breath.  
  
"This isn't a joke, Shingo-ko." His sister told him with a glare as she rose.   
"This is important and I'd like it if you didn't leap to such conclusions."  
  
Shingo blinked in surprise. No tongue-sticking, whining, or even one out-burst came   
from his usually melodramatic sister. It was only a glare and a hard scowl on her lips   
before she turned from him. "Whatever got into her?" He muttered again. Of course,   
Usagi heard him, but for the first time in a long time, she ignored his jibe and went on   
without noticeable acknowledgement. He glanced around only to see Luna, Usagi's cat   
lurking the shadows.  
  
"Mama, Papa... Shingo-ko," Usagi looked over to Mamoru who nodded at her. "I want   
to tell you something that I've been keeping to myself for some time now." Kenji looked   
suspiciously between Mamoru and Usagi. Ikuko looked confused, unable to decide whether to   
be worried or relieved. Shingo waited impatiently for his sister to just say whatever it   
was she had to say. "You know those monsters that have been reported to be around   
Tokyo?" Usagi asked. They all nodded. Yes, the newspaper had been mentioning them   
again, though it had been pretty quiet for the last two or so years before these recent   
incidents. "Well, I--" Usagi looked very uncomfortable as she glanced down at her hands,   
one that was laced with Mamoru's. She muttered something.  
  
"Na ni Usagi-chan? I didn't hear you?" Ikuko interrupted.  
  
"She said, 'I am Sailor Moon'." All heads turned to see the agitated Luna perched   
on the window.  
  
"Was it just me, or did the cat just talk?" Kenji asked surprised. Shingo pinched   
himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Ikuko was blinking in surprise and amazement.  
  
The cat had spoken!  
  
  
***  
  
  
The meeting at the temple a day later was somewhat of a strange and uncomfortable   
event for everyone. Nobody really wanted to talk about what had happened when they told   
the people that they loved who they were, even those that found it had gone surprisingly   
well. It was almost embarrassing to admit to each other how much they feared telling who   
they truly were to those closest to them.  
  
"So, how did it go at your house, Usagi-chan?" Makoto asked.  
  
Usagi grinned, "My parents got over the initial shock after I told them the truth."  
  
"After 'you' told them the truth?" Luna huffed. "You mean, after you mumbled it   
and 'I' told them the truth, ne?"  
  
"In that case, the only reason why they still haven't blown a casket yet is probably   
because Luna talked!" Makoto joked.  
  
They laughed at this before falling silent once more. "Yes, that's very good.   
Surprising how all of our parents took it in their stride, ne? Even okaa-san took it   
surprisingly well. After I transformed before her eyes she had evidence enough to support   
my claim, so I did not need to go into detail about it." Ami smiled in quiet happiness.   
"We've never been closer."  
  
Usagi laughed at this, "Mamo-chan told me later that he was just glad 'I' didn't   
transform in front of my dad. Something about getting his head blown off, though I'm   
really not sure what he means by that... tou-chan was never that violent, he's all bluff   
and nothing but a softy on the inside!" Rei rolled her eyes at this as did Artemis, while   
Luna hung her head in exasperation.  
  
"Why don't you tell that to your dead boyfriend once you 'do' transform in front of   
your dad with Mamoru-san in the house?" Rei said sarcastically. "Then let's see how much   
your 'tou-chan' really is bluffing!"   
  
Usagi blinked at Rei innocently before sticking out her tongue in protest. "Spoil   
sport!" Everyone laughed again.  
  
Minako kept herself from grimacing at the happy atmosphere, though Artemis   
immediately noticed the difference in her countenance he could say nothing. Minako was   
usually the first to make an outrageous joke or gesture, yet today she was unusually   
silent, sparing a smile only when attention was bestowed upon her. When he and Luna had   
parted earlier that day, after checking up on the mall and trying to see what could be the   
cause of these new attacks, he went home. Only this time, Minako wasn't there and her   
parents were very tense about something. Setting out to find her, Artemis finally saw her   
when she stepped out of an alley in full Sailor Senshi fuku. Her eyes looked red from   
crying and her stance looked defeated, but she did not flinch when she saw him. He had a   
strange feeling that she had known that he was there long before she made her presence   
known to him. "What about you Minako-chan?" Makoto asked with a grin.  
  
Minako did tense then, but only slightly. Enough for both Luna and Artemis to blink   
in surprise though some of the others might have missed it. "It went fine." Minako said   
coldly. Rei widened her eyes slightly. The raven-haired priestess had sensed that her   
blonde friend was acting strange, but this was different...  
  
All the senshi blinked. "Minako-chan? Daijoubu?" Usagi asked concerned.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine." Minako forced a smile on, but they all knew she was lying.  
  
"What is it Minako-chan?" Ami asked worriedly.  
  
"I said, I'm fine!" Minako growled through gritted teeth.  
  
"We all know you're lying through your teeth, Minako-chan!" Rei scowled evenly when   
the others fell silent.  
  
Minako sighed as she looked down at her tea. "I have nothin nothing to say to your   
accusations."  
  
"What accusations?" Rei asked agitated.  
  
"Mina?" Artemis stood then and looked to his charge with worried green eyes. He   
knew he should've been there when she revealed her secret identity to her parents but he   
was needed at Central Control, and with Luna off with Usagi. Artemis cursed silently at   
missing the meeting between Minako and her parents, missing the moment that she needed him   
most.  
  
"Min'na, let's not fight!" Ami intervened worriedly.  
  
"Ami-chan's right, it's best we stay calm about this." Makoto nodded in agreement.  
  
Minako sighed but a hand rested on her shoulder, "Minako-chan," blue compassionate   
eyes met her own with smiles as Usagi knelt down next to her. At that moment Minako saw   
her princess of a long ago past staring back at her. "They love you, your okaa-san and   
otou-san, that much I do know." And before Minako could protest, Usagi gently shooked her   
head but her smile never wavered, "When this is all over, I want you to think about what   
was said. You don't have to face them yet, but I want you to know this, Minako-chan, as a   
friend, I know that loving you is easy and that no matter what you may think, your parents   
love you. You're the Goddess of Love, Minako-chan, and your strength reflect the strength   
of that of which you were born to represent." Blue eyes met blue, compassion met   
gratitude and uncertainty.  
  
"Usagi-chan," Minako smiled then, a real smile. "Arigato." Usagi brightened and   
hugged her friends with a sigh as the others soon joined. "Arigato, min'na!" Minako   
whispered, "Arigato!"  
  
"We're here for a fire reading, why don't we begin now?" Rei cut in at last. All   
of them nodded at once when the meaning set in, pulling back, each rising to go to the   
fire room as a sudden graveness fell upon them once more.  
  
Luna and Artemis looked to each other hesitantly. "We must leave you." They all   
turned back startled at the cats.  
  
"There is much to do! Inform us of what you find, but Central Control might have   
something by now." Artemis agreed.  
  
"We've wasted time here, it would be best we return to where our presence could be   
of use." Luna sighed.  
  
Usagi looked ready to protest, but Rei cut in. "I understand Luna, Artemis." The   
look that Rei gave to Usagi prevented the odango-blonde from saying more.  
  
"Gambatte ne!" Usagi called out as they left, though her voice wavered, the blonde   
meant it. The cats nodded before turning and disappearing from sight.  
  
Minako remained unusually silent through this, and it worried all of them. Usually,   
Minako was one of the first to wave goodbye to the cats and she always said something   
cheerful by now, at the very least she'd have teased Artemis about one thing or another!   
Yet, there was not enough time for that now. The air was charged with urgency that was   
never there before. It was tense and anxious, filled with startling unease.  
  
They turned once more to the hall behind them and followed Rei down the wooden   
corridors before they had reached the fire room. No one commented on any of the   
strangeness that had been surrounding the events to this day. The bad luck was running   
pretty high by now, but there were enough moments to keep them all silent and doubtful of   
their doubts. Sometimes more from a need to avoid confrontation than anything else.   
Still, the circulation of information and clear communication between the usually close   
Inners dropped. They should've seen the peculiar situation and asked what was wrong, but   
no one did and so it slipped away into forgetfulness. Back and forth it went, but never   
acknowledged it vanished once more into oblivion.  
  
Rei calmly slid the door of the fire room open and stepped in to the hot atmosphere   
without blinking an eye and headed straight for the crackling flames. Ami grimaced   
slightly as she stepped through last. Out of all the senshi present in the room, she felt   
most out of her element here. It was too hot, too stuffy, and too brightly lit by the   
flames of the sacred fire. Yet, Ami squashed down the feelings of discomfort, for, after   
all, this was a holy place and she must not think so harshly of it.  
  
They arranged themselves out before the sacred fire, Rei closer to it than anyone   
else. That girl didn't even seem to sweat under the oppressive heat of the room, though   
the rest of them sure did! Ami was especially aware of the pulse of the heated flames   
licking at the fires before them. That was when the images came.  
  
It wasn't as if they expected it. Rei was doing her usual chanting to the flames to   
concentrate, her low murmuring that was soothing to hear in a language that they were born   
to but had long forgotten the meaning of. Those purple eyes were closed, hiding the fire   
that burned within them as the rest of her friends watched on. It was almost routine now,   
but still the fire's roaring and hypnotic pull was fascinating to watch. Yet, something   
was different today. A draft had wafted through the closed room. There was a presence   
that was stifling, a presence that screamed for attention. A presence that could not be   
ignored except for the horrid show that suddenly splashed and roared into life before   
them!  
  
This startled Rei, who backed away with a gasp of surprise on her lips just before   
she tried desperately to regain her concentration. "Aku Ryo," the fire roared in response   
to its mistress's call to banish the evil that inhabited the room. "Tai--" the power   
struck so fast that Rei had no time to react at all.  
  
'uh uh uh little one!' the voice laughed. It was slippery and golden, dark and yet   
light. 'we can't have you ruin a reunion now can we?'  
  
"Rei-chan!" Usagi rose. Her blue eyes wide with worry.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" Makoto followed, arms stretched before her princess. Green   
eyes glaring coldly at the hovering spirit before them, flickering her gaze every now and   
then with worry at her fallen comrade. Transparent, yet still shining with magnificence,   
the golden woman laughed from within the fire. Her laugh was cold, even though her eyes   
were as red as the sacred flames, those eyes did not burn but froze and fought and roared   
with a different light, a darker light.  
  
"I am the prophet." Ami's eyes widened as she too rose to stand beside Usagi. The   
dark hair of the raven-haired priestess masked her face, and her voice was hers, yet it   
did not sound like Rei either. Ami blinked in confusion at this thought.  
  
"Rei-chan!" Usagi cried out in relief, yet there was fear in her voice for she   
heard the same darkness in the dark-haired priestess's tone.  
  
"What did you do with Rei-chan?" Minako cried out with emotions that surprised all   
of them except the ephemeral god-like woman before them.  
  
'I did nothing. She is only a vessel to tell what should be told. To warn who must   
be warned.' The god-woman spoke with a menacing smile.  
  
"You have no right to be here, evil spirit!" Minako spat out.  
  
"I? A spirit?" Rei rose, they all took a step back, except Usagi. Poor, poor   
Usagi. Rei laughed out loud before she opened her eyes, and Usagi was the first to see,   
she was the first to freeze in terror at what she saw within those eyes of fire.  
  
Those purple-onyx eyes of warmth and mysteries were gone. Now there lay red, red   
like the god-woman within the fire. Red as the blood of the dead; red as death! "Rei-  
chan--?" Usagi gasped.  
  
For a moment Rei's eyes returned to the deepness that was her own. The red took   
control again. The girl clutched her head in confusion as the spirits within her body   
warred for dominance. "Rei-chan?" Minako reached out uncertain. Makoto had already   
taken a hold of the shaken princess and pulled her back to the group. That was when Rei   
lifted her head up with such speed and ferocity that Minako stumbled back in surprise at   
the redness that burned cold in her heart. The cloth of the miko gown ripped at the   
raging winds as power fought power. The paper windows were torn to pieces as the shredded   
paper scattered around them and into the hallways of the temple. Sunlight poured in but   
the darkness rose within the girl they once was called Rei. The wind continued to grow   
like a crouching serpent that slithered with impatience inside the room of holiness,   
sometimes lashing out and sometimes circling its mistress of the shadows.  
  
Someone was screaming, the blonde-odangles bobbed up and down as she struggled to   
pass the others who fought to keep her back, screaming out the name of her friend.   
Confused blue eyes of Minako was forced to turn away, yet she continue to look behind her   
now and then at her best friend as she tried desperately to restrain her princess. The   
green eyes of a warrior shone determined, unwilling to show weakness to the darkness.   
Yet, there were haunted memories in the shadows of those eyes, memories of being   
possessed, of betrayal, and of shame that grew to make the stubborness grow. Blue eyes of   
a scientist, a healer, looked on with worry and uncertainty, wanting to help and not   
knowing how.  
  
"Beware the warrior of light! She is the one!" The dark hair of the priestess   
swirled around the miko's form. And a silence fell upon the room as those red-white robes   
remain tattered and torn. The sacred fire roared to reach the roof, engulfing the room as   
a golden senshi stood within the light, parting from the flames that bore the golden   
senshi's form. Those rouge eyes, unforgiving and menacing, glowed as her figure tore from   
the flames to assume her own form. "Beware the warrior of the LIGHT!" Rei screamed as   
her hand pointed to her friends who stood paralyzed by the power within the room, too   
shocked to move any further. "Betrayer of senshi! Betrayer of the world! You have   
forsaken your place!" The fire roared even higher as the golden woman rose behind Rei,   
hand extended toward them, but those red eyes -- eyes of the possessed -- stared only at   
one person. Minako turned her back to her princess, arms outstretched before the odangle-  
blonde as she shielded the other, battle stance ready as she faced down her best friend.   
"Beware!" Rei warned again.  
  
"Please don't do this Rei-chan! I don't want to hurt you!" Minako begged, her blue   
eyes misting with tears before she blinked them back. This was not her Rei-chan, if this   
woman dared to harm Usagi, their princess, their only light, Minako would be forced to do   
the inevitable. No. Her Rei-chan would understand. Her Rei-chan would do the same in   
her place, wouldn't she?  
  
Minako's hands shook as she brought out her henshin, as she readied herself for a   
transformation.  
  
Rei took a step forward. Her once amethyst eyes now seemed to be a menacing color,   
a color of the boldest crimson -- the blood of fire. The essence of the flames rose in   
her voice that seemed to overwhelm them with a heat never experienced before. "Kolk doru.   
Sukata diro gara! GARA qa miro v'i!"  
  
"What is she saying?" Makoto demanded, panicking slightly as she pulled Usagi   
forcefully behind her tall body when the other will not stop trying to reach Rei. Ami   
typed furiously at the keyboard, the woman in the fire came toward them, right behind Rei,   
following the very path the raven-haired priestess led. The golden feet took a step when   
Rei took a step, those eyes of red blinked when the dark-haired woman blinked.  
  
"The betrayer. She will destroy our destiny! Destroy the heart of the galaxy!"   
Ami whispered softly to them. Her computer clicking as it processed the information it   
received.   
  
"Uno ez tr'xy na--!" Rei stopped before them and advanced no more, as if there was   
a barrier that contained her. Her hair streaked behind, creating a dark-fire in itself.   
"Face your fate without the light." Ami translated. And then, as if struck, the deep   
purple of her mysterious eyes returned with force and her face became a frown of stubborn   
determination. Rei fell into unconsciousness at their feet, fighting the darkness that   
threatened to dominate her body and her soul.  
  
"Kuso!" Makoto whispered. The fire still roared as the golden senshi stood before   
them. Beckoning to them, her eyes fixed on the quivering form of the one they have all   
sworn to protect. Those burning eyes of rouge, rouge that Rei seemed to possess but a   
moment ago, mockingly laughed at them all. It was truly a chilling laugh that sent   
shivers down the spine of every senshi there.  
  
'Come little one. Fear not your fate. I shall rule with you beside me. We shall   
win the heart of the prince we've lost, and chaos shall be no more. Instead, it shall be   
us who rule over chaos! Follow me little one, follow me to your chosen path.' Usagi took   
a step forward unknowingly. Her blue eyes seemed glazed and her mouth curving slightly in   
a sleepy smile.  
  
Minako, unaware, looked down at her friend that lay at her feet. So seemingly   
innocent, unharmed and possessing none of the powers to hurt her. "Rei-chan?" She   
whispered as she reached forth, "Daijoubu-yo--"  
  
"Na ni, Usagi-chan! Don't go!" Makoto grabbed the blonde's arm. Fear and doubt   
clouded her eyes as she glanced between the golden senshi and their princess. "Wake up   
damn it! This is no time to daydream!"  
  
Minako snapped as she turned sharply around to face the princess, but already she   
knew they were too late. "I must follow my path," Usagi spoke, turning to Makoto. That   
voice froze the brunette in her place. It was such an empty voice, devoid of feelings and   
of love. The younger blonde tried to advance toward the illusion once more, but she   
couldn't break from Makoto's frantic grasp that suddenly tightened as those emerald eyes   
narrowed in suspicion.  
  
"Who are you?" Minako demanded in anger, as Makoto had done but moments before.  
  
Rei suddenly rose from the ground again, her eyes, now, black as night, "The   
princess has chosen." Slim white hands snaked passed Minako before she could whirl around   
to face her true enemy. Those same hands that used to calm the blonde when she was weak,   
when she cried, now reached forth like claws towards Makoto and Usagi. Now, the barrier   
was visible and black eyes turned completely to rouge as the priestess and the barrier   
collided. Burning like the fire behind her as the barrier roared into life, tearing the   
sleeves of the tattered robes as Rei pushed forward. Minako was knocked off her feet when   
the contact of power against power collided. Yet, the fires that stopped Rei were   
different from the fire the dark-haired woman wielded. It was a cool blue, with a hidden   
power that at first seemed weak and easy to destroy, but it only delayed the progress that   
the dark-haired priestess was making.  
  
With each advancing step the girl took, they backed away. Minako rose again and   
came before Usagi and Makoto, unwilling to hurt her best friend, torn between love and   
loyalty. All the while, Makoto still tried to restrain Usagi who also started to act   
strangely to the events before them, while Ami analyzed the situation, typing furiously at   
the computer.  
  
"What the hell can we do?" Minako demanded as she bumped into Usagi as they backed   
away, Makoto having to practically drag the princess back with each step.  
  
"One more seal will do the trick," Ami finally said softly. Her face pale with   
thought.  
  
Minako grimaced. Rei-chan won't be happy with this when she gets back to being her   
old self again. The other was mad at her for a while the first time she used the charms   
of Mars, the second time... well, let's just say that Minako shouldn't have told Rei   
exactly what happened in the mall. This time, there was no more choice. It must be done   
or the princess will be in danger. "Aku--"  
  
"Aku Ryo Tai San!" A male voice interrupted Minako's chanting as wards from out of   
nowhere flew toward the barrier, toward Rei. Powerful wards, wards that Minako could only   
compete with in her Venus form and she could not produce half as much as those that raced   
toward the dark-haired girl.  
  
The barrier roared into life and Rei screamed in frustration and pain before the   
force of the wards knocked her onto her back completely and she fell unconscious onto the   
ground once more. The fire rose still and the golden senshi reached forth, her image   
already fading but not yet gone. She stopped before the barrier and smiled menacingly at   
them all, turning her gaze to the frightened and worried odango-blonde who suddenly became   
aware of her surroundings once more.  
  
'I'll see you on the shores of the galaxy my pet. And we shall conquer earth and her   
prince together. Don't worry, it's only a matter of time before you become who you were   
born to be. I'll be waiting... Serenity!' The image left and disappeared, fading away   
like that menacing laughter. Yet, her image stayed burned into their minds for longer   
than any other ever did.  
  
The scuffles of footsteps turned them all back into reality. "Rei-chan? Rei-  
chan!" They turned to see a frantically worried Hiketsu run to the fire room and drop   
down next to the dark-haired girl, cradling her prone form in his arms. It was only then   
that they saw what powers had been residing in the room, as the old wooden doors lay in   
pieces behind them, splintered and broken. "Rei-chan talk to me! Shimatta! Talk to me!   
Oh gods, what were you doing?" He gasped as he shook her slightly before clutching her to   
him, his form shaking.  
  
Ami was the first to approach. Slowly the blue-haired girl reached across Hiketsu's   
blond head and tested Rei's pulse. "She's alive. Her pulse is faint but the effects   
aren't fatal." The coolness of a professional doctor seeped into Ami's speech, but her   
shaking hand showed that she was as affected by this as the rest of them.  
  
"Should we take her to the hospital?" Usagi asked, voice weak from her own   
possession. Timidely, she stepped from behind Makoto's protective stance, her eyes   
unfocused as if waking from sleep.  
  
"No, she'll need some rest, that's all." Hiketsu said softly as he carefully lifted   
Rei from the floor. "The possession was unstable, she fought it from the start -- when   
she got over the initial shock, that is. That thing must have been powerful to have come   
in so strongly, and through all of my barriers, combined with Rei's own barriers too.   
What were you guys trying to pull?" There was only a hint of accusation in his voice, but   
it made Makoto stiffen and Minako grimmer than ever.  
  
"None of your business!" Makoto told him with a glare. Her eyes were clouded with   
memories and shame, for now she knew that she must have fallen like that, fallen by the   
attack of a fellow senshi. Fallen like a weakling! The words escaped her mouth before   
she knew what came over her and she blushed slightly at what she said, but the anger did   
not leave, the shame remained to goad her.  
  
"It is very well my business! You damn well better tell me what the hell you five   
have been up to, to get her in this state! It's not safe and somebody could've been   
seriously hurt, somebody could've died!" They all paled. Rei had said something like   
this once to them, as a warning, almost a joke. But now, with their first taste of   
possession, they feared it, and Minako knew with good reasons too!  
  
"I apologize," Usagi felt one single tear slip pasted her eyes. "Gomen nasai," her   
lips trembled as she looked to Rei, torn and seemingly broken, lying once again in   
another's arms. "Gomen ne, Rei-chan," she whispered.  
  
"I don't care for apologies. I need Rei in her room and I need to know what you've   
been up to. I don't give a damn if it's some Sailor Senshi business or not! Save the   
world if you want to but don't risk her life to find some measly information you probably   
have no use for! Rei isn't built that way, her life's too precious to sacrifice for a bad   
reading."  
  
Usagi gasped, her hands covering her mouth to stop the sob that rose in her throat.   
"Gomen nasai!" She cried out softly before turning to run. Run away. That's what she   
always did when she couldn't face reality. She was not worthy to protect Rei-chan, or   
Mamo-chan, or any of her friends. Not worthy to protect the world! Not worthy to be the   
Queen of a distant and beautiful future that was to be...  
  
Rei-chan, I'm so sorry! Usagi thought as she raced down the steps. I'm so very   
sorry!  
  
"How could you do that?" Minako nearly screeched at Hiketsu. Something dark within   
her rose, though the blonde knew not what, but the words were out of her mouth before she   
knew what happened.  
  
Those empty blue-grey eyes of the blond-haired man turned to her. "You would have   
done no more differently if I had hurt Rei and were a stranger. You are not my friend but   
hers. I respect that, but this... I cannot forgive you for this!"  
  
"I cannot forgive you for hurting Usagi-chan!" Makoto retorted darkly.  
  
"Even now you think of that girl, and not the one who's done everything to protect   
all of you! By fighting openly with a demon spirit within her own body, Rei was risking   
everything, even losing her soul, and all you can think about is your precious princess?"   
Hiketsu glowered in dark anger, anger that would've scared Minako if she were not feeling   
so righteously angry herself.  
  
"You have no right to stick your nose where it is not wanted!" Ami joined in. Blue   
eyes widened when she realized what she said, but the angry eyes of Hiketsu did not   
forgive her for the comment.  
  
"I did nothing of the sort!" Hiketsu exploded, "Your presence simply threatened the   
very soul of Rei's and all you can think about is the hurt feelings of another, whose pain   
can be healed much more easily than what has already happened here!" Hiketsu glared, but   
he was getting tired of this. Rei needed rest and his arms - though he wished he could   
comfort her forever -- could not give her the comfort of her bed and some cool towels to   
wipe of the sweat, especially since it was the only physical evidence of her excursion   
with the dark-soul.  
  
Ami blinked, unable to take the pain that was being hurled by either side and   
herself. "Gomen ne, Hiketsu! We have to stop this! Rei-chan would never have wanted   
this to have happened--"  
  
"What do you know of possessions?" Makoto screamed in anger. All the brunette's   
fears and hatred and doubt about herself came rushing through as rage. Green eyes   
darkened in rage, in shadows that has yet to be expelled.  
  
"I have it in my blood." Hiketsu said calmly. "It is the blood of the Kagemi. It   
is in my brother's blood. It is what draws the light to us, wanting to heal our pain. It   
is what makes us hate the light and long for it, a want that exists all at once. It is a   
shadow that is not known but always present. I have felt the darkness in my soul, and I   
have felt yours, too. But mine is deeper. Mine had been with me since birth. I will not   
lose the one woman who can heal that darkness, or at the very least seal it. I will do   
anything!" This time Hiketsu did not raise his voice, having gotten himself under control   
once more. But his tone was threatening and it scared even Makoto. She, however, will   
never admit to it, there was much she didn't understand and she had no wish to concede to   
this.  
  
"Wh--" Hiketsu didn't stay to hear what the tall brunette had to say. In a moment   
he had already passed her and was walking down the hall. Past the broken doorway and the   
room once holy. He noticed nothing except the urgency in his heart to keep Rei away from   
them, from the danger they posed to her. "Hey! Come back here you bastard, and face me   
like a man!" Makoto shouted as she ran out into the walkway but a firm hand on her elbow   
stopped her.  
  
Hiketsu turned when he heard what Makoto yelled outloud, there was a darkness in his   
smile that froze whatever words that Makoto was going to say to the blonde behind her.   
"You are not the only one with tricks up your sleeve." Hiketsu brought the prone body of   
Rei closer to his chest before turning towards the dark-haired girl's room.  
  
"That bastard has no right to hurt Usagi-chan!" Makoto began again.  
  
"I wonder what he meant by tricks..." Ami pondered out loud.  
  
Minako stayed silent, her hand went limp on Makoto's arm as she released the other,   
watching the retreating back of Hiketsu with grave sadness. Gomen ne, Rei-chan. Hiketsu   
was right. We were only thinking about Usagi and not once were we worried about you on the   
same level as Hiketsu had worried. Perhaps it is built in our system. No, that is only   
an excuse. I made a choice for caring. Only, I should've cared more about both sides,   
should've thought more of Rei's health. Minako flipped back her layers of blonde hair   
with a wistful sigh. The day was not yet over yet and already a crisis, she wondered how   
long they would last till the real war.  
  
'The betrayer is here.'  
  
Minako shuddered, closing her arms around herself.  
  
Did Rei mean herself?  
  
Minako wasn't sure, because Rei was just one more suspect to add to the list that   
was already growing. All who were on this list were of senshi origins and 'that' was what   
scared Minako more than anything else!  
  
We're insignificant, Hiketsu, didn't you know that? We're so very insignificant.  
  
If Minako had tears to spare for herself, she would've cried out in self-pity. But   
how could she? She was not worthy of such tears, for she was not the one who risked her   
soul for Usagi, after all. Yet, that did not explain the hot trails that ran down her   
face, and even after Ami pointed them out to Minako, she was unsure whom it was she was   
crying for.  
  
Are these tears for Usagi? Or, are they for Rei? Because, I know, that someday, no   
matter how close we are, we are senshi, and that makes us expendable.  
  
  
***  
  
  
The woman stood upon the rooftop of the tall house. Her wind blown hair floated   
like waves within the push and pull of the unseen breeze. Eyes dark and mysterious stared   
down, watching and waiting, patient and silent.  
  
The slumped figure appeared at last, the dark streetlights highlighted her hair as   
she passed them by. Golden hair showed as she walked on, head bowed in defeat.   
"Serenity, a Queen should never let the burden show for all to see." The woman scolded   
the girl lightly when the other finally reached the gates of the house.  
  
Golden hair swirled as the girl stared up in surprise. Serenity. Such an ancient   
name that was long forgotten, from a tongue long dead and a language forever lost...  
  
"Sailor Senshi Pluto!" The girl gasped in surprise.  
  
Pluto bowed before jumping agilely down the roof. "I have been waiting for you,   
Serenity." Pluto said when the girl stepped through the gates to greet her. Perhaps to   
greet her for the last time as a senshi to a girl -- not yet a woman. Yes, this would be   
the last time Pluto would find her a girl and not a warrior, a Queen. "Why?" The girl   
asked in surprise. Blue eyes saddened at the memories that weariness had caused her to   
forget. The events of the day had also set her mind to other things than the betrayal of   
the past.  
  
"It is our last night here and I have come to say goodbye," Pluto smiled sadly at   
her future Queen. "For all of us." They both knew who 'our' and 'us' were referring to,   
and even though the reference was indirect, it still left the golden girl uncomfortable   
with what was to come.  
  
"The others aren't here then?" The girl sighed in disappointment when Pluto shook   
her head at the question. "I don't know whether or not I should be surprised, or if I   
will later remember this night as bitter or sorrowful." The girl turned from Pluto and   
headed for the front door of the house. "It seems that someone will always be regretful,   
ne?" The blonde asked absent-mindedly as she climbed the steps.  
  
"Serenity, you will always have my loyalty and that of the others, as well. It is   
just not our fate here, destiny has another course for us." Pluto held her own sad smile.   
"Gomen ne, but this was the only way. You must believe me!" Pluto hid her own surprise   
at her outburst. A weary smile appeared upon Pluto lips when she realized the desperation   
that must have been evident in her usually calm voice. The princess did not seem to   
notice and Pluto was thankful of this, thankful that her future Queen will never   
understand them.  
  
Never.  
  
The girl, though, looked on in surprise. "Setsuna?" She did not miss the outburst,   
though she did miss its origins.  
  
Pluto shook her head and turned to the shadows. "That woman is only a name. I am   
Sailor Senshi Pluto!" Pluto smiled as she shifted her weight from her staff and stood   
tall, using all of her height and hiding her heart. "Ja ne princess. Until the next time   
we meet again! Sayonara." The mysterious senshi bowed one last time to her past   
princess, her present leader, and her future queen. Then, like the shadow that she had   
learned to become over the centuries that she had watched over, she disappeared into the   
quiet night without further warning, leaving a distraught young girl behind.   
  
'Gambatte, Serenity, gambatte ne...'  
  
  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
  
It seems that not everyone knows what the word "noir" means. It means black, one of many   
words borrowed from the language of romance, French.  
  
*mon petit poisson - my little fish ( Don't ask where I came up with this, I've agonized   
over putting another stupid nickname in but finally gave up! -_-;; ) Anyway, Ami-chan   
LIKES fishies, read the manga :p so like it's not TOO far a stretch. ^_^;;  
  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
  
A tribute to...   
A. L. a Campo (my editor)  
His Lordship Chaos,  
Ken Wolfe, &  
Angus MacSpon.  
  
For Don, who was one of the first to  
believe in me and this project that  
took a life of its own.  
  
And everyone who had helped & encouraged  
me during my trials and my errors ^-^;;  
  
Thank you for every dream and every  
inspiration...  
  
Thank you for everything.  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com 


	6. The Sixth Sheep Named War

A Note to the Readers: All contents in this story is under an artistic license. Fact and   
fiction will be clomped together into one huge blob. In other words, don't bother me   
about debating whether some conversations in this fanfic is truly based on fact... as   
Naoko Takeuchi has done many times. Truth, after all, is an elusive thing! ^-~. Enjoy!  
  
When All the Good Angels Sleep  
******************************  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
  
"No te engano la primavera"Did spring never deceive you  
con besos que no florecieron?"with kisses that didn't blossom?"  
  
--Pablo Neruda  
("The Book Of Questions")  
  
  
"And I looked, and behold a pale horse:   
and his name that sat on him was Death."  
  
--Bible: New Testament  
(Revelation 6:8)  
  
  
The Sixth Sheep Named War  
-------------------------  
  
"Your blood was not as red as mine,  
(Was it red at all?)  
So I crushed your body with my fist  
And watched your ashes fall."  
--blue  
("Blind")  
  
"All the gods are dead except the god of war."  
  
--Eldridge Cleaver  
("Four Vignettes: 'The Christ' and His Teachings")   
  
  
"In all my times of travel, I had found that the   
people that is most inclined to hate, prejudice   
and betrayal, are those that believes the most   
and at one time, hoped the most. Thus, at the   
very beginning of my guardianship, I had learned   
to watch for the unobtrusive but deeply religious   
believers of any religion, politics, and whatever   
beliefs that such a person may follow or believe in.   
Because I knew, that when the time comes, they will   
be the hardest to destroy for they are not doing   
this for power, but for a distorted lie that they   
had convinced themselves to give their lives, and   
the lives of others, for. I had learned the hard   
way that those are the people to kill, for when it   
comes to the end, those are the ones you will find   
yourself facing and pondering over the words to   
'either kill or be killed'. For no matter how noble   
they once were or how gentle, they are now living   
only for that lie and whatever it takes to make it   
the only truth. In this they are more cruel than all   
your enemies put together, because in truth, you   
fear them more, doubt them more, for I know you best.   
And I know, when you look into the eyes of your   
greatest enemy, you will see yourself."  
  
--Sailor Senshi Pluto  
("Letters to the Queen")  
  
  
Before she knew it, she was looking down. Down at the city she called home, the   
city known as Tokyo, once known for its lights and nightclubs and busy markets. All but   
fire and ashes now... Forward she saw the beast of darkness advancing toward her, its   
form illuminated by the distant great fires. The fear grabbed onto her heart and refused   
to let go. The blood in her veins throbbed as if it was on a maddening train. The light   
burned now, and her hands and the air all around her burned. Light hotter than the Sun's,   
the Sun that had disappeared behind the ugly sky. She felt as if she was burning into the   
heart of the Sun. Then she saw him, god-like in paleness that seemed like sleep. Cradled   
at her feet, before the steel skeleton of the tower, a jagged, broken steel bone of the   
Tower protruded from his chest as he hung limply upon it, his face raised to meet hers.   
Her mouth opened and silently whispered a name before she knew what it was she meant to   
say, "Endymion." That name... so familiar, and yet, so unlike the man she had promised to   
marry but a few days ago for this was the man she had met back in the days of the Silver   
Moon. Yet, still she loved him with all of her heart.  
  
Thump.  
  
Love.  
  
Thump, thump.  
  
I was so in love.  
  
  
***  
  
  
He clutched the small box in his hand, amazed at how such a little thing can change   
his life forever. So much had happened since he met his destiny that it did not come as   
such a shock as it would have years ago. "Usako," he whispered her name to the air with a   
smile as he glanced up at the sky.  
  
He pocketed the box before reaching behind him for the helmet. He placed it onto   
his head, and after securing it in place he turned the engine of the machine on, letting   
it roar into life. He pushed off of the sidewalk, riding toward the next step in his   
destined life.  
  
It didn't take him long to reach her house. And luckily for him, and Usagi's speed   
-- though as a result of her usual tardiness -- it saved him from Tuskino Kenji's wrath   
this time around. She rushed down the steps of her house like an angel in flight, her   
white dress billowed around her creamy legs, just as an autumn air swirled passed in   
dance. She tugged her coat warmly around her as she reached his bike even before her   
father had time to get up from his seat. Putting on her own helmet, they zoomed off   
toward the setting sun just as Kenji bellowed out more than a few threats to their   
retreating backs from the doorsteps of his house.  
  
She was unusually silent through the ride, which worried him. When they finally   
arrived at the beach though, the fresh air and the warmth of her arms around him made him   
forget it temporarily. They walked down to the restaurant that he had discovered through   
one of his colleagues. When he saw it he knew it was the perfect place to ask her. He led   
her to the beautifully decorated little restaurant, and its sense of intimate romance   
swept them away to a world so unlike the reality they were escaping from. The call of the   
ocean lapping against the surf was blended into the sorrowful call of the violin. The   
candlelight sparkled on each of the white-linen covered tables. "Chiba." He told the   
receptionist.  
  
The man behind the stand looked up and smiled politely, with a hint of warmth.   
"Right on time Chiba-san." He called out to a waiter to lead them to their tables. "For   
two?" The receptionist asked as he glanced behind Mamoru to Usagi.  
  
"Hai, for two." Mamoru nodded.  
  
"May I take your coats, sir?" The waiter asked when he arrived. It didn't take   
long for them to be seated, though Mamoru did pause for a moment at the stunning vision   
before him. The soft glow of the candlelight illuminated her face with a golden glow.   
She had on a simple white dress that flowed over her form, thin straps clinging to her   
shoulders, leaving the rest bare to the warm air within the restaurant. The candlelight   
brought a new glow to her sky-blue eyes, and if he leaned in close enough, he might catch   
a few specks of silver that would sparkle in her eyes when she smiled.  
  
"Mamo-chan?" She questioned when he kept on staring at her. Not that she minded   
but even her Mamo-chan never stayed this quiet for this long. Well, at least she never   
allowed him to stay this quiet for this long!  
  
"Un, Usako?" Mamoru tilted his head slightly as his dark-blue eyes questioned her   
own lighter ones.  
  
Her heart skipped a beat as a strand of silky black hair fell over his eyes. Mamo-  
chan looked absolutely adorable in the black tuxedo that he wore. She had to keep herself   
from giggling when she saw it. Her Tuxedo-Kamen, her hero! Usagi smiled at the thought   
and brushed away the wavered strand. "Daisuki!" She answered cheerfully. Tilting her   
head as well when she said those words of love.  
  
Her blond hair slid like liquid gold across her skin as she grinned at him. Mamoru   
reached for her hand, interlacing their fingers together. "Ne, Usako?" He looked over to   
her with a wicked gleam in his eyes.  
  
"Un, Mamo-chan?" She answered innocently.  
  
"You must love me!" He grinned as he brought her hand to his lips.  
  
Her startled face looked to him confused, "Na ni yo, Mamo-chan?" She frowned at his   
choice of words.  
  
"In fact, I didn't realize how much till this very moment!" He had a teasing grin   
on his face as he tapped her on the nose lightly, almost playful. This was not the Mamoru   
she was used to! Distracted, she realized that he was pointing to the spot in front of   
her. "I guess I'm so handsome that you didn't even realize that you had the menu in front   
of you!" Her eyes widened when she realized what he was getting at.  
  
"Mamo-chan!" She cried out in indignation. Snatching her hand from his as she   
glared at him. "I do not always think about my stomach!" She told him haughtily as she   
raised her pert nose into the air.  
  
He laughed at her reaction, sliding into his chair as his laugh turned into a warm   
smile. "I know Usako." He said, easing her somewhat bruised ego. His voice returned to   
the usual somber tones that she was comfortable with, that same deep voice that sent her   
heart leaping the first time she realized that Chiba Mamoru and Tuxedo-Kamen were one and   
the same.  
  
"Well, I guess we can order then!" She cheered as Mamoru chuckled at her reply.  
  
"Hai, hai." Mamoru stopped himself from commenting any more on Usagi's eating   
habits.  
  
By the time they finished, the moon was already high up in the sky. The violin   
floated the notes past them as Usagi polished off her desert. Apparently, her eating   
habits hadn't improved that much, but Mamoru had been saving for sometime for this night,   
so he didn't flinch 'that' much when the bill came after they were done. "That was   
wonderful!" Usagi commented as they stepped out of the restaurant.  
  
The air was salty sweet outside, and it was somehow warmer now than before. Walking   
a little way down the beach, he could see the stars stretch forth in the sky. This was   
the perfect time! He thought as they walked a little further down the deserted beach.   
"Mamo-chan?" Usagi asked in surprise when he looked back and took her hand into his,   
leading her down to the beautiful spot on the lonely stretch of endless sand. Standing   
there, he turned to the starlit sky before finally glancing back to his beautiful   
princess, his angel and savior.  
  
Reaching out, he drew her into his embrace and kissed her passionately, parting only   
for them to catch their breath. Somehow, even in the dark, she saw his dark-blue eyes   
that always threatened to drown her, smoldering with his silent passion. He had come to a   
decision, she was sure of that. But what did he decide on?  
  
Still a bit breathless he smiled as he caught her hand again in his and placed   
something within it. He caught her into an embrace, spinning her around so that her back   
was to him with his lips close to her ear. Trembling she looked down to the small box in   
her hand that was wrapped in velvet. She looked over her shoulder at him questioningly,   
but he said nothing but look back with an intensity that swallowed her whole. "Mamo-  
chan?" She asked as his large hands and slim fingers wrapped around her own and brought   
the box up for her inspection.  
  
"Open it." He commanded as she looked down to the box and backed to him again.   
Uncertain, excited, and totally surprised, she was unsure if her hands would allow her to   
do it without dropping the box. His hands though, steadied her own as she carefully   
opened the lid. The moonlight stroked the ring, as she looked down to the sparkling   
heart-shaped stone in silent shock. "Usako, marry me." He whispered in her ear, brushing   
his hot breath against her sensitive skin.  
  
The ocean lapped against the sand as the full moon shone, her round reflection was   
backed by a black sky and a blacker ocean. All Usagi could do was gasp, but the wind   
stole the sound with its soft breath, whisking it away to a whisper that was drowned by   
the crashing waves upon the sand. "Mamo-chan?" Usagi widened her eyes as she slowly   
turned those beautiful crystal-blue eyes to him, pulling away slightly in shock. It was   
too dark for her to make out his expression now, for the shadows hid his face well, as he   
let his dark hair fall and cover what he wished to hide. She could feel the intensity of   
his presence engulfing her. She could feel her eyes stinging as she tried to hold back   
the tears of joy. How long had she waited for this? Too long. "Y-Yes!" She said   
shakily. "Oh, yes!" She cried out when she found her voice again. Twirling around she   
hugged him fiercely, pulling him closer.  
  
Let him drown me! Her heart cried out joyously. Let him surround me so that I'm   
never alone again! For today is the first day of my happiness. She squeezed her eyes   
tightly, wishing that it was not a dream. Mamoru was so solid that he couldn't be an   
illusion, could he? He was asking her to marry him! Asking 'her' to marry 'him'!  
  
To Usagi, he would always be the one man whom she would always love without   
reservation or hesitation. She had admired him and adored him for as long as she could   
remember being a Sailor Senshi, as long as she could remember being a princess with a   
fairytale prince by her side. Even after eternity had run out of time to spare, she would   
still fall into his deep blue eyes like the first time she had seen him on the hologram   
screen upon the moon. She knew she would never tire of the way his presence made her   
heart skip a beat, nor could she forget the way his hair felt running through her fingers   
while he 'tried' to study. Ever since his picture enchanted her when she was but an   
unknown princess in an enchanted kingdom, he had captivated her. Even when he had been   
cruel in his teasing, she had loved him. She knew from experience that no matter how much   
he betrayed her or hurt her, he would love her in return as well, because she believed in   
their love with all her heart and soul. In return, their love had saved her from her   
doubts, her defeats, and herself. She believed in him, no matter what!  
  
"Do you know when I realized that I loved you?" She asked him teasingly.  
  
"When Usako?" He questioned. Amused but slightly distracted as she traced his lips   
with the tip of her finger.  
  
A wicked grin fell upon her lips as she pulled his face closer to hers, eyes still   
shining with joy as she stood before him on tiptoes. "The first time you called me   
odango-atama." She told him in a serious voice, as his face registered surprise at her   
answer. But before he could utter a sound past his own lips, she closed the distance   
between them and silenced him with a kiss. After all, she was determined that this time   
that she would be the one to kiss him into breathlessness!  
  
The stars twinkled, almost shining brighter as the two forces of powers joined and   
bonded stronger than ever. "Usako..." his lips moved against hers seductively, whispering   
her name.  
  
"Mamo-chan." She sighed against his lips in return. At that moment, they both   
wished that the time for them to part would not come, and when they finally did, their   
eyes locked onto each other as the troubles of the future disappeared and the hunger of   
the past melted away, leaving only today, only the moments to come and go.  
  
The moon glistened and the stars sighed, as if in answer to the unspoken wish. The   
lunar light caressed the sea and the earth, silently covering the lovers below her in her   
blankets of silvery beams of lights. Gently she kidnapped them from the dangerous world,   
where disease was rampant and death is certain. For a few moments in destiny, they hoped   
to escape fate, living only in the moment, a moment of eternity. Everything would be   
different now. Everything!  
  
The stars shone above, the only witnesses to their silent promises.  
  
  
***  
  
  
The knock on the door startled her into consciousness. Surprised and disoriented,   
it took her a moment to realize what had woken her. Ami didn't even realize that she had   
been sleeping. It had taken her some time to absorb the information that Core had sent to   
her the night before and she had trouble concentrating on it all, especially since she   
kept wondering about Rei. All she could think of was the look of angry passion in the   
miko's eyes; that possessed look burning up a familiar soul. She paused but the knock   
came again, forcing her to stand and go to the door. She didn't even realize that she had   
been sleeping and when she looked back one last time to her room, she saw her computer had   
been turned off, Core must have realized that she had fallen asleep, it was... kind of   
him. She walked down the hallway and the quietness of the apartment told her that her   
mother was off to work. Glad that school was not to come until tomorrow, she trudged down   
the hall and opened the door.  
  
"Ami-chan," the stranger looked familiar. She blinked back the sleepiness that   
still lingered in her mind and tried to place the face she saw before her.  
  
"Who--?" She began.  
  
"Ami-chan, don't you remember me? I'm Urawa, Ryo Urawa. We went to junior high   
together," he looked slightly hurt that she had already forgotten who he was.  
  
She never did, but it was his face that had changed and his height, too! "Urawa-  
kun?" She whispered and her hand reached forth to him, uncertain. Sleepiness still   
lingering in her eyes. "I remember you Urawa-kun. I do." She smiled tiredly at him   
before she quickly withdrew her hand upon realizing that he was real. "Come in and don't   
stand out there so long, you're making me feel inhospitable." She stepped back as he came   
into her apartment for the first time. She remembered the times he came to call on her,   
but he never did have reasons to come into her apartment. Never. Until now that is.   
What changed? Was it because Ami was older now and they were different people? Yet her   
senses told her that this was different, things were different, and that it would be best   
if both of them were sitting down when he told her why he had come to visit her after all   
this time.  
  
"I'm sorry if I came at such a bad time. I know I should've called you first before   
I came knocking on your door, but I was in the neighborhood and I had to speak to you   
before--" he was the one who cut himself off this time. He looked hesitant and slightly   
uncertain whether or not to tell.  
  
"What is it Urawa-kun? Did you have another vision?" Ami asked calmly.  
  
Urawa gaped at her, though she wasn't sure why. "I-I didn't think you'd remember   
that--"  
  
"Remember what, Urawa-kun? Of your gift of being able to see the future? Or, is it   
that you know my identity? That you were once possessed?" She smiled as she touched his   
hand. "I remember all of that. But I trusted you then and I still do, now, Urawa-kun.   
Even if your face is different, even if you've grown and your voice is deeper." It wasn't   
until she had spoken of the changes that he had undergone that she realized exactly how   
different he truly had become.  
  
He looked surprised at her statements, but was smiling once more when he realized   
why she had paused at the door. "Is that why you were so surprised at the door? I never   
knew I had changed so much." He grinned.  
  
"No, you haven't. I was just not expecting to see you there." She returned the   
smile and stood. "Would you like some tea?" He nodded graciously and she turned toward   
the kitchen. "Why don't you turn on the television for the news? I'll be back in a   
second!"  
  
She reached the kitchen in a hurry and started to prepare some green tea, but then   
changed her mind. 'She' needed the green tea, but Urawa need something to sooth and relax   
him. She didn't have the wonderful herbal tea that Makoto had, but she had the next best   
thing, Jasmine! She carefully prepared his tea before pouring her own. In the background   
she could hear the TV clicking into life and the foreign voices ringing through the house.  
  
When it was ready, she brought out the tray and walked back into the living room.   
The anchorman was speaking of some trivial local news and she tuned him out immediately.   
Setting the tray down, she smiled at Urawa as she handed him his cup and sat down beside   
him. "How have you been Urawa-kun?" She asked. Not yet willing to break the friendly   
atmosphere with graver subjects, she reached for her own tea.  
  
"Fine, fine. Great, actually!" He smiled as his eyes flickered from his tea to her   
eyes. "I--" he looked away and blushed. "I met someone special at Kyoto, my father was   
transferred there after stopping by at Osaka. She's very special to me. I... I would've   
like you to meet her, but... this is a very important year for her and her exams are   
pilling up so she couldn't come." He told her. His face looked flushed and Ami nodded   
knowingly. He had practiced all of his excuses before he came. She was impressed that he   
had prepared to lie to her before he showed up to her door. Yes, Urawa had definitely   
changed from the naive boy she once knew and his powers were ebbing, usually he would've   
known her reactions by now.  
  
"You don't have to lie to me Urawa-kun. You came to tell me about your dreams and   
it would have been difficult if she were here... I understand." Ami set down her cup and   
looked him in the eye as he blushed again.  
  
"Gomen ne, Ami-chan!" He apologized, obviously quite embarrassed at having been   
discovered. He set his tea down onto the glass table and prepared to stand and bow in   
remorse. She shook her head at his actions and so he paused and tried to amend it another   
way. "I really did wish you two to meet, just not at a time like this." He admitted at   
last. Yet, she saw him wince slightly at his own comment.  
  
So, he knew after all.  
  
"It's alright Urawa-kun. It is best we do not meet, yet. It is too dangerous a   
time, anyway." Urawa paled slightly at this. "You are infected, now."  
  
He didn't need to ask. He understood quite well what she had meant. "I know." He   
confirmed her earlier suspicions with his simple answer.  
  
"So, did you say goodbye to her Urawa-kun? You have always been so noble that I   
can't think of you not doing so without her knowledge that you might not be back."  
  
Urawa grimaced at this. "I broke up with her before I came. She probably thinks   
that I am visiting an old girlfriend and hope to get back with her. I did nothing to   
assuage her of her suspicions. I just let her go... It would have been unkind of me to   
have her pine for a sick man who is destined to die, anyway." Urawa sighed and looked   
down to his lap in shame. He appeared to be so tired now, and Ami regretted having not   
given him some green tea after all to at least waken his body, that is.  
  
"Have you seen your death, Urawa-kun?" Ami questioned him. Surprised and curious   
at what he had told her.  
  
He barked a bitter laugh that startled and scared her. Not because she feared Urawa   
would harm her, but she feared that he was hurting himself with this. "I don't need to.   
After today I can't go near her without making her sick with the same disease that   
threatens to kill me. Any way, isn't it the golden rule that a prophet may never see his   
own end, his own future? I am a prophet, at least I was, was I not Ami-chan?" He seemed   
desperate now, wanting to confirm that he had made the right decision. His eyes had came   
back to haunt her with their uncertainties.  
  
"Why did you come to me at such a great risk, Urawa-kun?" She asked him softly.  
  
He looked away. The lights from the outside shone through the darkness of her   
apartment. The television filled the silence in the room. "I had to see you." He   
answered simply before turning back to her. He had been gathering his courage all this   
time, but she knew that this was important to him. Maybe, it was important to her as   
well, but she was not yet ready to admit it, not to herself anyway. "A long time ago,   
Ami-chan, you were the only one I had ever loved. You saved me from death, and saved me   
from losing the only soul I have ever known to have. I owed you. I owed you of the love   
you gave to me so freely, of the acceptance of who I was and of what I was, and for saving   
me from death or at the very least a fate worse than death! You saved me from becoming a   
monster that was inside my very soul and healed me!" He never broke his gaze from hers.   
Allowing her to see the fresh tears in his eyes that spilt from his deep blue eyes. "If I   
could save you Ami-chan, and repay you for what you have done for me, then I would do it,   
even if it means that I have to sacrifice my love and my life for you!"  
  
She didn't know what to say. She knew that he had loved her and she had loved him,   
too. But they were different people now, and he had his own love and she had her own   
life. They had chosen different lives. "Baka!" She whispered as she touched his wet   
cheek, not meeting his startled eyes, for she was watching those tears of pain wash and   
stain her hands accusingly. "It's my duty to protect and to love the people of this   
planet. It is 'my' duty to sacrifice!" She suddenly threw her arms around him, clinging   
almost desperately, and for the last time saved him from the choice that he had made.   
"Baka! You should've stayed home, or told me your dreams over the phone! I would've   
believed you! Didn't you know that I would've believed you? Why? You had love in your   
hands and you let it go! Why?" She was crying now, because, until this very moment, she   
had not realized exactly how heavy a weight her duty had upon her soul. How many lives   
had she changed because she was a Sailor Senshi?  
  
A long time ago, she had thought that by going public, she would save lives. Now,   
she could see that knowledge could be dangerous. Is that why Setsuna never told them the   
future unless it was part of the time continuum? Is that why she never trusted them? Ami   
held onto Urawa tighter now and though he hugged her back, she knew that this man did not   
belong to her. He was where he shouldn't be. He didn't belong here.  
  
"Why are you here Urawa-kun?" She finally asked him.  
  
"I came to warn you, that if you go public, you might not be able to control what   
will happen in the future." He replied. "The darkness is nearer than you think, but you   
will never find it in time. You are unprepared for what the future has to offer." He   
looked confused at his own words. It seems to be the only thing that he didn't practice a   
million times to himself in front of the mirror.  
  
"I was never able to control what happens in the future Urawa-kun." She pulled back   
and looked him in the eye again. "I have the powers of a senshi, yes, but my destiny is   
not decided by me. My powers doomed me to be a pawn from the moment my soul was born and   
I cannot alter its path." He begun to protest and she placed a finger on his lips. When   
did she become so bold? When had she learned the courage to do what she was doing now?   
To get close to someone she knew was not for her? Yet, with this knowledge, she could   
smile and tell him what she knew he needed to hear. She blushed slightly at her thoughts   
and her actions, but it was the only indication that she was still the Ami that he had   
always known, the Ami that he remembered.  
  
"The future you bring me must deal with war, with death and destruction and disease.   
I cannot prevent them from coming to Tokyo; much less protect this Earth from its attacks.   
I only hope that by the time of invasion, I will be strong enough to defeat it, that I   
will be able to help and restore everything that has been destroyed. Yet, this is the   
hardest battle we will fight and I know that strength in powers can become stronger in   
numbers. If we had the backing of the country behind us, we would never forget who it is   
we're fighting for." She brushed away a stray bang of brown hair and smiled at him. "Go   
back to your love, Urawa-kun. You need not hurt both yourself and her for my sake. I   
protect love and I defend justice. I'm fighting this for you and those that you love   
dearly. It is not about a bright future that I'm willing to risk my life, for it is your   
love for this girl and the children you will bear together. The darkness will come, yes.   
But if this love will grow where there was once only despair, then the darkness will not   
triumph. Hope will live on!"  
  
Urawa shook his head in despair. "But I cannot risk her life..."  
  
"It is already too late, Urawa-kun. Enjoy life where it exists for we cannot stop   
the spread of disease. Love her when there is time for love and never give up." Ami   
shushed him with her hand again, before resting her forehead next to his. "You don't   
belong here and you know that, Urawa-kun. Go back. Go back to where you belong."  
  
He paused and looked back to her ice-blue eyes, colors that should have chilled him.   
Yet, he felt warmer than he had ever felt in a very long time. "Now, I remember why I   
loved you so much! Sometimes..." he trailed off while a look of regret came into his eyes   
but her hand had stopped him again and she shook her head this time at his words.  
  
"No more reminiscing. You have a beautiful girl waiting for your return." She   
smiled. The blush still lingered on her cheeks. She pulled away from him and settled   
down beside him once more. They drank their tea in silence before she broke the peace one   
last time. "Now, you love 'her'." She answered his previous reply with sadness in her   
eyes, yet her smile still remained upon her lips. "And maybe, if we're lucky, I'll meet   
her sometime soon, ne?" She asked him, turning those large blue eyes to him.  
  
Urawa smiled and stood, having finished his tea he set away the empty cup. Standing   
and bowing to her in thanks, he knew he had done what he had come to do and failed, and he   
was ready to leave. Failure did not irk him this time and he was even a little glad that   
she had rejected his aid. Ami had been right. He was not where he belonged. "Yes.   
Maybe, sometime soon." He extended his hand to her, watching her put down her own cup and   
reachingout. He held her hand for only a brief moment and then both let go.  
  
She walked him to the door, knowing that he would want to return to his darling in   
Kyoto. When he straightened after stepping into his shoes, she shyly placed an innocent   
kiss on his cheek. "For a remembrance," she told him with a smile. Of my first love, she   
finished in her mind.  
  
He looked slightly startled, but did not comment anymore than with a smile. "Ja   
ne!" He called out over his shoulder, accompanied by a wave when he reached the elevator.  
  
"Sayonara," she answered softly. He was too far to hear it but she waved goodbye to   
him in turn to assure him that he would see her again. They both knew that it was a lie,   
but it was such a nice ending to their friendship. It would be hard to let truth and   
reality take them over completely and drown the hope that was planted in their hearts that   
day. He stepped into the elevator with one last wave and was gone once more from her   
life. Yet, like the last time, he had stayed in her heart, he had changed her. One day,   
they'd look back to this day when despair became overwhelming, ready to drown them, they   
would convince themselves of a lie that could give them hope. It was better this way   
after all, better to end in promises...  
  
'And maybe, if we're lucky, I'll meet her sometime soon, ne?'  
  
'Yes. Maybe, sometime soon.'  
  
The front door of Apartment 1126 closed, ending another chapter in the life story of   
Mizuno Ami with the goodbye from the first man she had ever loved. There wasn't time for   
regret that they could not stay together longer, that it had ended in this way, but there   
could only be goodbyes now. She knew that she would never see him again. Never again!  
  
"Sayonara, Urawa-kun. Sayonara."  
  
The apartment did not answer her sad words, nor did the man she had spoken them to.   
He was never given the chance to even catch the last time she uttered his name aloud.  
  
Goodbye, the first man who held my heart and loved me as I am. Goodbye, forever.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Minako was still gushing over Usagi's ring when they arrived at the temple. "...And   
he really asked you on a beach?" The blonde asked her odango-haired friend again, blue   
eyes sparkling in delight and excitement.  
  
"Hai!" Usagi answered once more with equal enthusiasm as she gripped her bag in her   
hands behind her head. Leaning her head back as she looked to the sky -- which usually   
was a bad thing to do since Usagi was so prone to klutz attacks.  
  
"Yatta! That's so romantic!" Makoto sighed and even Ami had to agree to that.  
  
"Hai!" Usagi replied again, dreamily. Yet the expression soon desipated into   
worry, "Do you think Rei-chan's better now?"  
  
Minako sighed and looked toward the Hikawa Jinja sign, "I hope so," she muttered.  
  
"Well, at least she would be well rested," Makoto provided helpfully. Her green   
eyes wide and sad though she tried to hide it, there was however a spark. "If Kagemi-san   
will let her." The brunetter grumbled beneath her breath.  
  
Ami looked to the other sharply but said nothing.  
  
Usagi shook her head, "Things are happening so fast," the odangle blonde looked to   
the morning sky. "I feel like we haven't had time to prepare for any of it."  
  
"When have we ever?" Artemis asked.  
  
"But we've never been up against an enemy on a scale like this without some other   
help or at least a power up!" Ami suddenly concluded as her eyes looked thoughtfully   
forward. "It's different this time... somehow."  
  
Luna looked worriedly to the blue-haired girl before repressing a shudder, "I should   
have an answer for this," the dark cat frowned. "But there had been no word from Central   
Control, nothing from the old-moon archives, and the Outers--" Luna paused and looked   
worriedly at those around her.  
  
"Yes, the Outers," Usagi voice became suddenly distant.  
  
"The Outers," Minako echoed bitterly.  
  
"Minako, why can't I ride on your shoulder?" Artemis asked abruptly, surprising   
everyone out of their own revelries. Artemis was unsure what it was about the Outers that   
set Minako into a mood like that but he wanted to stop her from going deeper into the   
bitterness that seemed to settle around her before it gets any farther in front of the   
others.  
  
All the girls, except Ami, glared back at the white cat who shrunk beneath the   
heated stares. "You're out of shape that's why!" Minako told him firmly after rolling   
her eyes in exasperation at Artemis. It was about time that lazy cat used his paws   
instead of hitching a free ride every day!  
  
"Artemis, Luna can handle this, why can't you?" Makoto asked slyly.  
  
"Na ni?" The white cat flicked his tail in indignation. "I never said I couldn't   
handle it!"  
  
"Oh, Artemisu!" Luna laughed. "Baka!" Everyone was grateful of the mood change as   
they laughed at the white cat.  
  
They reached the steps of Hikawa-Jinja laughing at the look of horror on Artemis'   
face at the rising steps of the temple that must have loomed over the two cats. Groaning,   
the white cat reluctantly followed them up the steps, grumbling the whole way up. He only   
stopped when Minako threatened to stop giving him a midnight snack if he continued. Luna   
smiled thinly at this but said nothing, though she did whack the white cat with her paw.   
"Hey Hiketsu-kun!" Usagi called out to the blond man they saw, trying to hide her   
nervousness behind a smile.  
  
Makoto frowned slightly when she saw Hiketsu look up, her distaste showing.  
  
"He looks too good to be real!" Ami studied the older man, for once she had to   
agree with Minako's dreamy sigh.  
  
Luna studied those around her, finding it strange that Ami had not blushed or   
admonished the blonde for saying such a thing. She noted Makoto's growing agitation that   
seemed to change the other into a mindless bully, not the Makoto they knew and loved.   
Usagi had been quiet these days, hidding both her pains and joys behind a facade that was   
not like her at all. And Minako was slowly distancing herself from everyone, her eyes   
already faraway even as she spoke words that no longer carried the attachment she used to   
have.  
  
Hiketsu, on the other hand, looked angrily up at their approach. "We're here to see   
Rei-chan!" Usagi told him amicably. Blue eyes wide and eager to see if her friend was in   
better health than what she had been in the night before.  
  
"She's asleep." He told them with firm disapproval. Apparently, a night's sleep   
did not change his opinion of them. It didn't matter to Minako what he thought of them,   
but he was in their way.  
  
"Na ni? Rei-chan never sleeps in!" Usagi gasped in surprise.  
  
"She's recovering from the incident." Hiketsu replied tightly. "She'll be better   
later, though I wouldn't advise you to see her for a while."  
  
"Why not?" Makoto demanded.  
  
"Because, you'll bring unwanted things back to her memory." Hiketsu answered,   
choosing his words carefully. His eyes were cold and he stood firmly in their way.  
  
"We must see her!" Ami finally broke out worriedly.  
  
Hiketsu looked to the blue-haired girl who suddenly became so vulnerably desperate.   
His eyes softened slightly but still he shook his head. "I'm sorry, but you can't."  
  
That was when Makoto lost her temper and threw a punch at the taller, blond-haired   
man. For a moment she felt herself lose control of her body, but she had meant to throw   
the punch... hadn't she?  
  
  
***  
  
  
She awoke groggy and somewhat grumpy, groaning as she rolled in her beddings. How   
did she become so sore? She peeked open one eye to see sunlight streaking thought her   
window and panicked. After all, Hino Rei was never known to get up 'after' the sun.   
Always, she'd get up at four in the morning, punctual to the dot and ready for meditation.   
What day was this anyway? Was she late for classes?  
  
This was a first indeed!  
  
She rose from her bed and searched frantically around her room for her uniform, one   
that she'd take out for school every night before a new day begun to help her prepare for   
the morning. "Rei-chan, don't worry. I've already called your school today and told them   
you were sick." A male voice interrupted her frantic search for her school uniform.   
Glancing up from the floor to the entrance of her room, she automatically yanked the   
bedding to her chin when she saw who was leaning against the doorframe. Those sleepy blue   
eyes regarded her with amusement as he sipped some tea from his mug. "Ohayo, Rei-chan!"   
He greeted with a nod in her direction. His voice was husky from fatigue and his golden   
hair in disarray.  
  
"Oh- Ohayo." She replied weakly. She really was feeling sick right now, though she   
wasn't exactly sure why. What had happened the day before anyway? All she could remember   
was the retreating shadows of Luna and Artemis, disappearing around the corner. And then   
everything got so fuzzy that she couldn't place what time of day it had been when Luna and   
Artemis departed, or what day today was.  
  
"You're probably feeling disoriented. The first sign after waking from such an   
ordeal." Hiketsu told her with a gentle smile as he sat down on the edge of her bed,   
placing his cup on her nightstand. "Your friends were here earlier, but I told them that   
you were sleeping and that you needed your rest." He didn't tell her that he practically   
had to fight *and* threatened them to get them out of the shrine, and even then it was   
difficult to get them to leave. He knew their secrets, but he didn't know them as people.   
That made no difference though. He had his brother's gift after all. He knew people in   
general and he could manipulate them just as well, listening to their thoughts once in a   
while helped. These girls were difficult in that they were stronger than most and their   
different characteristics strengthened them as a group, making them less susceptible to   
things that many others would be sensitively weak to. But Hiketsu had more than   
intuition, he was famous for his great talents as a seeker for reasons. He knew their   
minds before he learned their names, so he had no trouble saying exactly what they wished   
not to be said and doing exactly what they wished not to have been done. He would push   
until he reached their limits before toppling them, because Rei didn't need them there   
right now. It would be bad if she had a relapse before them.  
  
Rei. Always so dignified and reserved. It would not suit her image if she broke   
down and cried, though he was not sure whether she would really go into a relapse, after   
all, Rei had always been so strong. Even at her own mother's funeral...  
  
"I don't remember what happened, or even what day it is." Rei admitted in a moment   
of weakness. It was a different experience for her to acknowledge her uncertainties out   
loud, much less to another human being.  
  
"It's alright. It's only Monday and you need more rest. Your school will send   
someone to bring whatever work you'll miss and everything will be fine Rei-chan." He   
smiled that disarming smile as he gently pushed her back onto her back. "Now, rest. It's   
what you need to get over the headache." He kissed her on the forehead in a brotherly   
manner that surprised her. It made her blush at the intimacy at that moment.  
  
"Hiketsu--" He ignored her and shook his head.  
  
"Sleep." He told her softly and left the room. Headache? What headache? That was   
when she noticed that there was pounding in her head that made her eyes go momentarily   
blurry. Oh, that headache! She thought, rather painfully. How did he know? But all   
questions slipped from her mind as she fell back to darkness.  
  
Hiketsu stayed outside her bedroom door. He fought back the urge to return and hold   
her, to keep her safe. It was not his job, it never was. Even back when they had been   
young, Rei had always sought her own path and when someone tried to protect her she fought   
them off as fiercely as she would any enemy. Still, she couldn't make him leave! So he   
never strayed from her door throughout her recovery, and as her ojii-san had found out   
earlier, he wasn't planning to either! The older man discovered him huddled before the   
wooden frames of her door earlier that morning. He didn't forget that knowing smile and   
those twinkling blue eyes recording him with something akin to amusement and approval.   
Presently, the old man passed him again. "Ohayo!" The old man called out as he walked   
by. Apparently, it was still pretty early.  
  
Hiketsu looked back startled at the other, for a moment he thought that Rei's ojii-  
san didn't seem old at all, especially just then. The other had been extremely concerned   
by the breach in the protection fields that emanated from the fire-room. Hiketsu had   
gotten there earlier though, having set his more specific protection spells around the   
room when he first visited the shrine. And when Rei had become unconscious, the old man   
had gotten extremely worried about her state of being. "I gather she kicked you out of   
her room, ne?" The old man grinned, bringing him back from his memories. He still   
couldn't forget the fierce look of protectiveness and affection that resided on that calm   
face but hours ago. "Rei-chan's prone to do that when someone tries to seduce her." The   
old man teased. Apparently, the other decided not to worry after all.  
  
Hiketsu blinked in surprise. "Seduce her?" He gasped before blushing at the   
thought. "I never thought about such a thing--"  
  
"Until now, ne?" The old man cut in with a wave of his hand. "Don't worry lad,   
you're not the first. She's a beautiful girl and she's single!" The old man winked as he   
chuckled under his breath. "If I were a young man like you, I'd be glaring at every other   
male looking at her the wrong way and scheming up plans to win her hand by now! But you   
teenagers nowadays! So slow in your decision makings. I'd have thought, by the way you   
guys go at it, that you'd never make it into any relationship!" The old man sighed   
wistfully.  
  
"Na ni yo?" Hiketsu blinked in astonishment. "I would never treat Rei-chan in that   
way!" And what did the old man mean by him being a teenager? He was twenty-six!  
  
The old man chuckled at this, "Glad to know you're one of the more honorable ones."   
Rei's ojii-san sighed again. "But you are rather slow in coming aren't you?"  
  
Was it just him or was this guy encouraging him to court Rei? "I--"  
  
"You realize that all your honor will just make it easier for someone else to snag   
her up and leave you in the dust?" The old man continued rather righteously, pointing his   
index finger to the air as if giving a lecture to a six year old. Hiketsu frowned at   
those words, knowing they were true, especially since Kaidou had already done it once   
before. "Ah! I see that you had personal experiences with this type of thing." The old   
man nodded sagely. "So, what do you have to lose? Stop lazing and get to work! You   
know, beautiful girls don't really have to wait for a prince charming to come alone, there   
are so many of those around these days that they snatch up whoever comes along first. You   
better hurry! No time like the present, that's what they say!" The old man winked one   
last time before walking away. "Oh! And helping an old man out with the temple could   
bring up your status with her!" Rei's ojii-san called back over his shoulder. Obviously   
he was hinting at something else altogether now!  
  
Hiketsu grinned at that. Seems like the other hadn't forgotten to try and take   
advantage of free help if he could get it! The old man disappeared around the other side   
of the temple, obviously muttering about teenagers and how lazy they were again. Left to   
himself, he pondered over what the other told him. 'No time like the present, that's what   
they say!' Hiketsu sighed as he slid open the door to Rei's shoji once more, as silent as   
he had been when she had just woken up. The sunlight cast his shadow onto her wooden   
floor board, and she was too lost in sleep to acknowledge his presence. 'So, what do you   
have to lose?' He had no answers for questions like that. There were too many ways to   
answer it. For now, though, he watched her from where he stood, feeling the burning rays   
of the sun hitting his back and laying its scorching rays of light onto each strand of his   
golden hair. A faint white-gold halo appeared around his head as his shadowed eyes   
silently observed the sleeping girl that he had been watching over since he had first   
stumbled upon her when they were but children. The girl he had not thought of till now,   
but the memories returned with a bitter-sweetness like they had done in the past.  
  
'Ne, Rei-chan, why do you always get all starry-eyed around Kaidou-san? You   
actually act like a girl around him!'  
  
'You watch your mouth Hiketsu or I'll make you eat mud!'  
  
'I'll make you eat worms!'  
  
'I'll make you eat mud and worms!'  
  
He smiled faintly at the memories. Rei had always been a solemn little girl, until   
he riled her up that is. And now, in sleep, she looked no different than she did those   
years ago when he was no more than a child like her. He sighed softly at the memories.   
Even then, Kaidou had ruled over her heart like the Sun over the infinite sky. Could he   
ever be content with that? To be but a glimmering shadow of what his brother was to her?   
She had got so far away from him when her mother died and yet, his brother had managed to   
watch over her even after that...  
  
Kaidou.  
  
How long have I worshiped you, niisan? Isn't it enough that you have become   
everything you have ever wanted to be? That you broke her heart once, already? Must your   
memories curse me too and make it so that I could never win her love from you?  
  
'You know, beautiful girls don't really have to wait for their prince charming to   
come along, there are so many of those around these days that they snatch up whoever comes   
along first!' Rei's ojii-san had said that to him. The old man was probably right, and   
anyway, Rei was more than just beautiful in the conventional sense, she was more than just   
looks...  
  
Yet, still he watched her from the safety of her slumbering. He dared not enter her   
room and wake her from her dreams. There were no answers for those questions that he had   
wished to ask since he first arrived at Tokyo and saw her lying on the hospital bed. He   
had felt the youthful years return, felt as if the fairytales of princesses were born   
again into his heart when chivalry was what ruled the mind of Man. Upon seeing that dark   
and mysterious sleeping beauty upon a bed of white cotton and steel, he had fallen in love   
all over again with her in that hospital room. He hadn't even realized how much he had   
missed her till then, nor did he understand how much and how profoundly she had changed,   
and yet, stayed the same. She was still solemn and stubborn, still filled with a fire   
that she contained in her heart like a sacred flame in itself. He understood its origins   
now, that it was her destiny to carry such a bright beauty within her soul. Her friends   
shared similar fates and held similar brightness within their own hearts. Yet, he was   
drawn to the fire, like his foolish niisan had been. He ran a weary hand through his   
ruffled hair and turned his back to the shadowed room, to the woman who haunted him, even   
with his back turned to her.  
  
One day he might get burned. He smiled at the idea and closed the door again,   
leaning against the paper screen. He looked at the blue sky that pierced his eyes and made   
him involuntarily narrow them at the onslaught of the brightness of the light. Who are   
you Rei? Are you the legendary Sailor Senshi Mars? Or are you still the little girl who   
hid her pain and refused to cry, even at your mother's own funeral? Is it my destiny to   
watch you from the shadows of your shining light and the light you believe my niisan to   
cast so easily?  
  
So many foolish questions that he had never thought he'd ask. So, where does that   
leave him now? He closed his eyes to the brightness all around him, to the sun that   
continued to shine like an undying beacon. Yet, the sun will eventually set and the night   
will take over, perhaps there will be moonlight tonight to bask beneath... and it was then   
that he prayed that perhaps, one day, a star would have half the chance to shine as   
gloriously as the ruling Sun. As niisan still did in Rei's world of light.  
  
Before the blond-haired Hiketsu, two crows landed silently onto the wooden floor,   
using it as a perch to watch over the young man that guarded their mistress's door. They   
turned to each other before looking back to him once more with an intelligence that was   
startling. Too lost in his own thoughts, Hiketsu did not see them tilt their heads in   
silent comprehension before the fluttering of wings carried them away, leaving behind two   
feathers of raven black in their wake as the only evidence of their presence, splayed   
across a small card.  
  
A card of fortune as a warning and a gift.  
  
The time has come.  
  
Death stared up at the sky like an upside-down puppet.  
  
Change has arrived.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Makoto was in a rage!  
  
It happened that if Rei was good at martial arts, then Hiketsu was 'great' at it!   
Even with her strength and experience in fighting, Makoto couldn't touch him! And 'that'   
infuriated her more than anything else. Unable to unleash her anguish, all she could do   
was pace back and forth, trying to ease herself out of her frustrations.   
  
Usagi and Minako watched her uneasily as the tall brunette paced across the   
courtyard. Ami was ignoring all of them by now and was hovering over her mini-computer,   
typing away at speeds faster than you could blink! It was probably the blue-haired girl's   
way of forgetting what had happened that morning. "How dare he treat us like that?"   
Makoto demanded angrily. Minako was sure that she could almost see the lightening   
sparking in arches of graceful energy at the tips of Makoto's fingertips, threatening to   
be unleashed if anyone dared to interrupt her during her ranting.  
  
"Oh, Mako-chan! Hiketsu-kun was only concerned about Rei-chan. He's being   
protective and we can't blame him for feeling that way!" Usagi sighed. A brave soul, the   
odango-blonde was! Apparently, the rest of the school had stayed away from them with   
prudency, since they had all seen that Makoto was in a rage -- not that she tried to hide   
it -- and so far, only her friends dared to even talk to her! Though, despite it all,   
Usagi was right. Minako just couldn't understand why Makoto was so mad or why their Mako-  
chan started the fight in the first place.  
  
It had scared Minako a little at how uncontrolled the brunette's rage had been.   
Though Makoto did not comment on Usagi's sensible words, "He has no right--!" Makoto   
began but then stopped and turned away. "He has no right!" The brunette muttered at   
last. The tall brunette's shoulder shook as she fought to regain her control over her   
unruly temper, or was it because the other was crying? Minako couldn't be sure, she   
couldn't tell from where she stood.  
  
Minako was surprised at the change of mood before a cheery voice interrupted them.   
"Usagi-chan! Min'na! Why are you four huddled over here all by yourselves for? The   
whole school seemed to be edgy around you guys today!" A red headed girl approached, her   
eyes revealed her anxiousness but her smile hid it well. Apparently, she was another   
brave soul that dared to venture into the territory surrounding the angry Makoto. She   
looked at the tall brunette with a slight apprehension but turned to Usagi with another   
knowing look. "Mako-chan's been at it again, hasn't she?" The other whispered into the   
ear of the blushing blonde.  
  
"Naru-chan!" Usagi said with a widening of her eyes and a grin on her lips, as if   
she couldn't help herself. Covering her mouth with her left hand, Usagi kept on grinning,   
her cheeks red with embarrasment. "You didn't have to say it out loud!"  
  
Whether or not Makoto heard this, Minako couldn't tell because the other was still   
facing away from all of them. "Well, back to being normal!" Minako sighed in a   
melodramatic way to enhance her disappointed look. She wasn't sad about being a senshi,   
but she was really becoming uncomfortable with the fact that today was the day they had   
decided to go public. They've already arranged it, already arranged everything! A tell-  
all to the news. And if Ami had already sent out that article on the web about knowing   
who the Sailor Senshi truly were, their fates would be sealed and there would be no   
turning back after today!  
  
It would be a hit! Minako knew that, and she also knew that her own career choice   
as a star might pick up now that she would become an instant celebrity, but the   
consequences still weighted heavily upon her. It was too late now, since the whole school   
seemed to be whispering about it since lunch time, even with Makoto being so far gone in   
her own passionate anger. "I just wanted to be the first to inform you that the Sailor   
Senshi are going to announce who they are!" Naru continued and broke Minako out of her   
turbulent thoughts. "Isn't it exciting, Usagi-chan? Umino couldn't stop talking about it   
since he found out this morning! I can't believe you guys haven't heard about it yet!"  
  
Usagi seemed a little pale but nodded with a forced smile. "Great! I can't wait to   
find out who they are!" The odango-blonde lied and badly at that, too. Minako must teach   
her little princess a thing or two about lying, especially if this girl was going to be a   
Queen someday!  
  
"Usagi-chan?" Naru looked at her once best friend with suspicious eyes. Sometimes   
it still hurt to think about it, but Naru was a strong girl and though she felt jealous of   
the little circle that Usagi was now a part of, she couldn't complain. Well, not much   
anyway. It wouldn't change how things had turned out, though back at the beginning of   
junior high, Naru would never have dreamed that she and Usagi would have drifted this far   
apart! No, she couldn't lie. Sometimes, Naru still felt betrayed. "Daijoubu-yo? You   
seem to know something I don't..." those blue-green eyes seemed distant for a moment.   
"Tell me after school, I'll be waiting at the gates." Naru said and then turned from them   
before Usagi could protest. "Umino's waiting for me, so I better go back." She waved   
over her shoulders at them. "Stop being such a gloomy group!" She called out. "Ja ne,   
Usagi-chan! And remember, at the gates!"  
  
Usagi sighed. There would be no excuses this time! Especially since she had been   
so worried about Rei that for the first time in Usagi's life she woke up and arrived at   
school on time! After Hiketsu had shooed them all away that is. Her teacher nearly had a   
hemorrhage before realizing that she was 'indeed' in the classroom before sensei was. She   
was a little irked when the teacher started to pinch himself and poked at her a few times   
to make sure that he wasn't dreaming and that she wasn't a ghost. Makoto, on the other   
hand, had been angry ever since the scene this morning with Hiketsu, and Usagi found it   
hard to concentrate on her work when one of her friends was sick and the other was in a   
very foul mood. Even sensei seemed to be walking on eggshells around Makoto this morning!   
She felt guilty that she might have been the cause for it all. What happened yesterday   
was just...  
  
Usagi shuddered as her thoughts trailed off, unwilling to remember any further.   
'The princess has chosen.' Rei's voice rang eerily in her mind. 'Betrayer...!' That   
word kept repeating over and over again as well, yet still she was unsure of its true   
meaning, or perhaps, she was unwilling to face the consequences of consciously admitting   
her suspicions.  
  
"...the media should be ready for us by six this afternoon. We'll be the biggest   
talk till then and we'll need to transform before any of us show up at the studio. It   
would be better if we show up -- all of us -- together." Ami finally spoke after a long   
silence. It surprised them all that she had been this quiet, even for Ami! Yet, though   
Usagi had been lost in her own thoughts, she had caught the last part and she knew that   
Ami was right.  
  
"Life won't be the same after today, will it?" Makoto asked softly. There was   
sadness in her eyes that replaced the earlier rage and worry.  
  
"No, I guess not." Ami sighed.  
  
"Well, if worst come to worst, we'll be celebrities!" Minako cheered, trying to   
lighten the mood.  
  
"Don't you ever think seriously for once, Minako-chan?" Luna scowled. Up until   
now, the dark cat had been observing Ami's work and had kept to herself as well, they had   
all but forgotten her presence. Her statement startled them back into reality.  
  
Artemis rolled his eyes then, "I've tried Luna, and I tell you, it's hopeless!" The   
white cat added. It took a moment for them to stop staring at their own cats.  
  
"Well, I disagree!" Usagi stuck her tongue out at Luna and Artemis, being one of   
the first to recover. Minako, on the other hand, started to mutter about the lack of a   
tuna dinner and probably a week of milk-deprivation for both cats! Apparently, a night at   
Makoto's had helped her mood. Not wanting to face her parents, she left a message on   
their answering machine, telling them that she was alright and then left it at that. She   
was embarrassed and hurt, unwilling to talk to either of them about their earlire   
confrontation.  
  
Minako mentally shook herself. She'll have to face her parents sooner or later, and   
she best get it over with. What's wrong with her? She could face demons from the dark   
dimension, save the day, and she can't even face her own parents? Today, she thought,   
I'll go home today. I'll tell Makoto that I'm going tonight. Tonight, I'll go home.  
  
"Keep doing that and the whole school will think you're nuts by the end of today."   
Artemis purred before Minako threw her shoe at him and knocked him painfully on the head,   
causing the white cat to rub the sore spot tenderly. With a scowl, he glared at the   
grinning blonde who winked at him.  
  
"Keep purring kitten and you'll regret it!" Minako threatened with an easy smile,   
more herself than she had been in the last few days.  
  
"I could report you for animal abuse!" Artemis threatened back.  
  
"As if they'd believe you Artemisu." Luna drily replied. That set the whole group   
laughing again. Of course, the rest of the school couldn't figure out why they were   
talking to cats, much less grasp that it was a cat's comment that had made the whole group   
burst into laughter. Makoto even joined in, forgetting her earlier anger, no, her fear   
of what had happened this morning. For she had lost control of herself again, and she was   
anxious to hide her lack of control over herself. Yet now, for just a moment, it was   
almost like the world was okay again and that life was normal, like it used to be. For a   
moment, they forgot that a quarter of the school was at home, sick with the mysterious   
'flu', nor did they recall that the youma was invading their world in hordes like none   
they had ever seen, and that chaos seemed to fill their days and nights with emotional   
traumas and depressions like none they had ever experienced. In those small creeping   
minutes that ended all too quickly, they were just a bunch of ordinary teenage girls,   
laughing and bantering without a care in the world.  
  
The future began to look just a little brighter from this moment of peace,   
happiness, and friendship.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Training. That was what they lived for and breathed for. They dreamed of it and   
when they woke, they worked at it. When they ate, they ate with the memory of what they   
had learned and what else they had to learn. When they took a break, it was only to   
absorb what they were taught. So, it was the life of being a soldier and a member of the   
team that Alyssa Smith had build from scratch. She scrambled them and then divided them   
into four platoons, each with dual leaders, splitting the platoons to two squads and then,   
when one goes down deeper, into pairs of partners that were in two different squads of   
their platoons.  
  
It was flexible and it was independent. She needed that because what she lacked in   
magical powers, she more than made up for with strength, agility, and brains. Her high-  
tech equipment made sure they would be prepared for this, but it was her strategy   
teachings that she fed them day and night. It was her personal training sessions that   
prepared them for hand-to-hand battles, and it was in the pairing rooms, the squadron   
rooms, and finally, the platoon rooms that she taught them to work as individuals, as   
pairs, as a team, and then, at last, as a unit. They would be ready for this battle to   
the death. She would make sure of it!  
  
So she drilled them and she taught them to think on their feet; to strategize before   
going to battles; to learn when to retreat and when to grasp an advantage. She beat the   
pride out of them after months of grueling work, and then beaten the timidity out of them   
too. They would be bold when they had to be and act weak when they needed to. 'It's   
survival that will sustain you, not glory and pride.' Then she made sure that they would   
not fear death and pain. She put them through the grind, got them comfortable and taught   
them how to endure pain. She didn't pick these people for their weaknesses, but for their   
strengths in both mind and body.  
  
Some were better than others and they became the leaders of the squads. Some were   
excellent and they became the leaders of the platoons as well. Now, she had come to the   
point of seeing how to beat the fear out of them. All psychology now and this was the one   
part she hated most, but knew also that it was the most important thing she would ever   
teach them. "So, you're going to scare the pants off of us, no?" A male voice   
interrupted her thoughts.  
  
She didn't have to open her eyes to know who had spoken. "Who said?" She asked   
non-coherently.  
  
He was smiling. She could almost hear his smile in his voice. "Does it matter?   
It's just a rumor." He was obviously not buying what she was telling him, though   
strangely enough, he trusted her. It didn't make sense in the contradictory way he always   
acted and there were times when he seriously got on her nerves.  
  
"I was just wondering exactly who would have said such a silly thing as that."   
Alyssa smiled and crossed her legs. They were encased in shiny-black material that was   
seemingly flimsy, but could stop more than a few bullets from entering. The black hair   
that was held back, flowed down in wisps, while her piercing blue eyes hid themselves from   
him today. "I wouldn't scare the 'pants off' of anyone," she sighed. "Maybe a few years,   
but that's what I do anyway. I make everyone feel so very old." She smiled at this, for   
many of the others would never be able to guess exactly how old Alyssa Smith really was.   
She 'looked' to be in her early or mid-twenties, but that didn't explain how she knew so   
much about everything and they all knew she wasn't 'fully' human. Her right eye was made   
of steel and circuits after all, and it would be no surprise if the rest of her was like   
that too. "Only the perverse would say such a thing about your next level of training."   
Alyssa trailed off and though her smile never changed, she was clearly unamused by the   
rumor that had been going around. Still, she would humor those who did not take it so   
seriously, those who she found 'engaging'. Some poor bastard was going to get it, and   
Alyssa would 'always' find out exactly who it was that had been spreading these rumors   
that she so despised.  
  
"He must have ruined a surprise." Another voice broke into their conversation. The   
man beside her straightened and glanced over to see his partner enter the room stealthily.  
  
"He?" Alyssa asked innocently. "Am I getting the impression that you know this   
mysterious gossiper?" She asked with naive curiosity, though both knew that she was   
neither naive nor curious. If Alyssa wanted to, she'd pick their thoughts right out of   
their minds, but she usually didn't like so drastic a measure.  
  
'I like stealth over strength.' She once told them with a half smile that would've   
melted butter. At least, the very buttery heart that Michaels seemed to have.  
  
The newcomer smiled and shook his head of raven-black hair. Dark golden eyes of   
predatory light sparked, as tints of brown were all but swallowed by the gold. "Not a   
clue Alyssa." He told her with an honest smile.  
  
Alyssa winked. "I wouldn't trust that innocent face for a second, Dale!" But she   
didn't probe which meant that she believed Dale and was only joking. Michaels smiled   
pensively as he pulled away from the conversation.  
  
"...Right, and I'm sure they'll cower if they ever discover that you found out!"   
Dale laughed. Breaking Michaels momentary distraction.  
  
"Chris?" Dale blinked startled. It was the first time he heard Alyssa utter his   
partner's first name. Obviously, she was worried about the faraway look that crept upon   
Michaels' face.  
  
"I was just wondering what we would do with those who got injured during the battle.   
Should we leave them behind to be slaughtered, or do we take them with us at the chance   
that they will destroy us with the virus that would infest their blood and all that they   
come in contact with?" Michaels maintained the sadness in his eyes, though he tried to   
wave off the solemn question.  
  
Alyssa had darkness in her presence and the cold calm crept upon her face. She said   
nothing, but in a few moments Michaels shook his head in defeat. "Such a waste." The   
older man muttered. Obviously, the other had received an answer from Alyssa, a silent one   
that was perhaps meant only for Michaels to hear.  
  
Dale smiled in distaste. It always came down to that, didn't it? Michaels was like   
Alyssa's favorite pet... Dale paused and smiled cynically, after all, who was he to   
complain? He was only next in line. He flexed his hand to try to release the tension   
within him. "Dale?" Alyssa looked over to him questioningly. She was wondering about   
him now.  
  
Whoever got injured in battle was as good as dead, Dale realized when he looked into   
those blue eyes that should not have reflected a soul, but did reflect a heart. How could   
he condemn someone who had saved him from the jaws of death? Yet, he knew that Michaels   
was right. It was a waste. A waste of lives! Yet, what could he do? He had already   
lived longer than most people, especially since he had been so snug and safe in this voult   
that he now called home. Okay, perhaps not home, but it was something! He was breathing   
and healthy, for being in this state, he owed the woman before him immensely! "Whatever   
happens, we lived longer than we should've. Death is probably already damning me for   
escaping his clutches like that!" Dale grinned. "Anyway, I owe. So, it's not like I   
have anything to fear when I go off to battle!"  
  
Michaels face still looked withdrawn and solemn. "Yes." The answer was enough to   
bring relief to Dale. There was no joy in this agreement, but it was enough. The three   
of them stayed like that for a long while in silent thought. Lost to a sea of troubled   
understanding and wonderings through the maze of sacrifices and coming death.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Fujimia Doko was unhappy about the way that the events were unfolding. The Sailor   
Senshi had interrupted his search every time he sent out his youma to find the whereabouts   
of his phantom master. Yes, he had suspected that they would meddle. He swept back a   
strand of wavy black hair and silently contemplated his actions against them so far. He'd   
have to see the effects, but he was sure it was working. Though he was able to hear that   
dark and chilling voice within his mind, it was not enough to guide him to his master's   
present location. The Sailor Senshi were but an annoying distraction right now and his   
plans would surely counter their attacks. Locked away as the demon god was, it was no   
surprise that master could not tell him where he was, which to Doko was just as bad as the   
master not knowing the location in the first place! Yet, that was frustrating in itself   
since the Master had become so very impatient with the progress on the surface.  
  
'I'm buried in the darkness eluminating the night, standing tall amongst the   
stars.' Doko rolled those words in his mind, trying to discover the meaning behind the   
vague answer. No direct conversations between him and the Master. The magic wouldn't   
permit it, but master had at least found a way to connect and communicate with him through   
puzzles and ambiguous answers.  
  
He reached for the briefcase on the desk. He had no need for such a thing, but best   
to keep up appearances for these silly humans. After all, he'd need to use them later   
once he discovered the location of master. It would be best that the Senshi were not   
notified of his presence and his quest. They'd do anything to stop him and personally, he   
didn't want to know what they could do.  
  
He had already heard the rumors of the fall of one of his master's young relations,   
Pharoh 90 -- as a high youma who called itself Mistress Nine named the entity. Of course,   
it was for human's sake then too, they needed a name to associate with the fear they felt   
and it worked, until those annoying Sailor Senshi showed up and destroyed the upstart of   
darkness. Master had told him about the burning pain that evaded his world during the   
final battle, yet it wasn't the light that destroyed the darkness of the Pharoh. 'It was   
one of their own who had turned against them!' Master had told him. 'Of course, it was   
the upstart's own fault for corrupting a senshi. They 'always' turn to their inner light   
in the end.' There was a hint of bitterness that pierced and that conversation had ended   
then since Doko had passed out from the anger of his master, even though it was not   
directed at him. 'Nephrenia was no better!' His master had continued, educating his   
pupil on the history of dark-leaders who failed and what not to do. 'She was a rogue to   
start with and her ambition got the best of her. A silly fool, she didn't have enough   
power to go against all the senshi in the first place! Especially since she had not yet   
witnessed the final transformation of that stupid Sailormoon! Of course, we'll not allow   
her powers to grow this time.' Master had laughed somewhat cynically at the comment.   
'Her powers shall die here! And no one shall get in my way of destroying this star system   
and the last planet that should've died a millennium ago! Earth shall fall and breathe   
its last breaths!' The communication ended then and Doko was exhausted by the ordeal.   
But Master will return, Master always returned for more news.  
  
When he had woken from Master's last visit, he realized that he needed more energy,   
but taking it would be difficult. He wouldn't be satisfied with just any human, but if he   
went any longer without a feed, he was going to suffer for it. By the time he was really   
hungry, he wouldn't care. 'Best choose when you have a choice!' That had always been his   
motto!  
  
Yet, the Prime Minister would have to wait. It was too soon to feed on the silly   
old fool that he had met earlier. Especially when he realized that he still needed the   
stupid human alive! Perhaps the Emperor would make a much more scrumptious meal. The   
dark light in Doko's eyes flashed menacingly as he smiled, tapping his fingers together in   
a pensive way. Already the crystalline blackness was breaking through his right arm, all   
the way down to his right hand. He had discarded the gloves he had been wearing upon his   
discovery that he could take the crystalline armor into himself. Its disappearance and   
reappearance was ruled by his command over his hunger, that was why the thought of sucking   
the life slowly out of the pompous fool of a puppet was making him uncontrollably...   
needy. His left hand gracefully opened the side drawer as he took out the gloves, pulling   
on the right one first and then the left, knowing that his control would be limited at a   
time like this.  
  
"Still, it would be sweet!" he thought with maniacal glee that he knew he had to   
keep under tight control. Though he had no control over his hunger, his control over his   
appearance was essential. It did not, however, make him stop his imagination from   
savoring the coming pleasures of the next meal as his hunger roamed freely within him,   
making him restless for the hunt.  
  
It would be sweet indeed! He chuckled softly to himself. And though no one was a   
witness to his laugh, it was still as chilling as the armor he now called his own. Yes!   
Master would be revived and the Sailor Senshi shall fall to their doom! Then, it is then   
that his hunger shall be soothed by the taste of the blood of the dying Earth!  
  
  
***  
  
  
The attack came quicker than they had expected. In fact, they had thought it would   
be awhile before total chaos would break loose. Yet, it was the beginning of a war after   
all, so what could they do but witness what war can do if magic was involved? The demons   
came early, lured by the prism acquired by Drake, Marshal, and Klide. Sergei was   
whispering to his partner Katrina in their native language, discussing something or other   
that excluded the rest of the squadron. Wrek was looking discomforted, though Andrews   
beside him kept a smug smile on his lips.  
  
The Watcher was nowhere to be found and Michaels was definitely getting edgy. Dale   
observed all of this through half-lidded eyes, just before his mind detected an invasion   
in his field. "They're here." He told Michaels. The other was already nodding, reading   
his partner's mind before the other opened his mouth. There are no secrets among those   
who have bonded and only a fool would risk it for privacy. Dale was perplexed, for he had   
felt the lure was attracting more demons than they could handle.  
  
'Bring down the prism!' Michaels' sui generis mind echoed in Dale's own and every   
other member in the team.  
  
"They're not here yet, why do it now?" Wrek asked stupidly.  
  
Dale kept his anger inside at the outward defiance. "If you wish for an army to   
show up, why don't you build a prism of your own? I'm sure they won't leave you right   
away after seeing the hoard you're pitting them against!" Dale answered sarcastically.   
"Of course, you can always wait until they get up behind you and kill you well you're   
still creating! I know it's something you'd enjoy."  
  
Andrews smiled at his reaction amused. 'Isn't being here the point? Luring them   
here would mean a battle. People die in battles.' The other man smiled nastily.  
  
Michaels placed a restraining hand on Dale's shoulder. 'He's not worth it.'   
Michaels sent the private message to his hot-tempered companion.  
  
Dale forced himself to relax. 'If you wish to die, no one's stopping you! Just   
don't take the others with you.'  
  
Andrews face never wavered, but Dale could see the other's eyes burn with contempt.   
'You're the one who brought us here.' The other tried one last time.  
  
'I'm sorry, did you wanted to rot in the streets of America and be another   
unidentified body there? Oh, I didn't realize you valued your life so much, Andrews!   
Maybe you should be leading this expedition to the condition you wish your body to be   
in!' Michaels shook his head at Dale's comment.  
  
'Stop it. We don't have time for this!' Michaels commanded, but Andrews and Wrek   
were too riled up by this time and Dale was too stubborn to back down now.  
  
"Don't have time? Apparently, pretty boy found that there's enough time for this!"   
Wrek started angrily. Apparently the other still was not used to mind speak even after   
all this time at training. That would prove to be a fatal and stupid error on Wrek's part   
later on in this ruthless battle of power and wits.  
  
'Drop the prism and the shield now! If you three are going to bicker, I'm taking   
the rest of them back. I don't want casualties at your expense.' Michaels turned to   
Drake, Marshal and Klide. The prism had already been dropped. Sergei and Katrina looked   
uneasily around for the indications of the enemy, broadcasting their mind over the area   
around them. The others waited a little more down the way.  
  
They would be ready for this if Michaels had to kick each of them into action!  
  
'I think it's too late for retreat now.' Katrina televised softly. She didn't want   
to get into the fight, but the demons were there. They would be in sight in a few more   
minutes.  
  
Michaels didn't blink an eye. 'Everyone get into position.' Everyone moved except   
Andrews, Wrek and Dale, all three glaring at each other.  
  
Without hesitation, Michaels grabbed his partner's arm and hauled him into hiding.   
Now only Andrews and Wrek stood in the plains as the thundering suddenly shook the grounds   
around them. 'Why did you leave them outside?' Sergei demanded.  
  
'They wanted to be bait.' Michaels replied dryly. 'Volunteered even! Were trained   
for this, though they tried to lure you to stay behind.' Michaels gave Dale a thorough   
glare.  
  
'What--' Dale begun.  
  
'They asked for it. The Watcher informed me of it before we departed. Just be glad   
that you're my partner and, like any good partner, I took you in even when you were such a   
fool!' Michaels' face was grim. Katrina looked slightly sad at this new turn of events   
and shook her head at her partner, another silent conversation between those two. Marshal   
was speaking to Klide and Drake was wrapping his arms around the blonde who was carefully   
wrapping the last of the white band across her left-forearm. 'I'm ready!' The blonde   
nodded.  
  
'You sure about this, Mouse?' Drake asked nervously, obviously worried about his   
partner. Mouse -- though contrary to her name -- was not timid or weak. Her eyes were   
fiery green now as she stared down the man that she found herself liking in the last few   
weeks.  
  
'Are you questioning my abilities as a fighter?' Mouse asked menacingly. Drake   
grinned sheepishly at this and shook his head furiously in denial in the face of her   
anger. 'Good.' She answered mildly and patted her arm and checked her weapons again.  
  
'What a woman!' Dale whistled.  
  
'Watch it sweetheart!' Mouse winked. Drake flustered jealously and Dale grinned   
with a wave.  
  
'Just kidding Drake! No need to get hostile!' The jealousy turned to embarrassment   
as the other shook his head.  
  
'I'm not--' the rest of the sentence was cut off as the ground shook. A deafening   
roar washed over them.  
  
'Damn it! They're here!' Michaels signaled.  
  
'We *need* reinforcements now!' Wrek's voice echoed through the barrier.  
  
'Looks like the cocky bastards are learning their lessons!' Dale commented harshly.  
  
'Shut up before you get your head cut off!' Marshal told the younger man with a   
roll of his eyes.  
  
'Let's get going!' Michaels interrupted, not wanting another fight starting because   
of his hotheaded partner.  
  
What greeted them in the field though, was something that none of them were prepared   
to see...  
  
  
***  
  
  
Chiba Mamoru was bent over a patient attentively, listening to the old man's   
complaint and trying to assess what was the matter when the pain struck. The nauseous   
feeling came upon him so quickly that he was left dazed and confused, unable to reason out   
why he felt so horrible, so suddenly! Nor did he know whence it came till his senses   
righted itself again. He could not wait anymore. He needed to talk to someone! His   
powers flared as he reached forth, searching for the illness within the old man, grasping   
without thought, being too sick at the moment to think clearly, he took away the darkness   
with a slight push.  
  
The man gasped. His old joints stopped swelling and he felt as young as he did when   
he was but a youth in his prime! He looked over to Mamoru in awe, "A true bearer of your   
name my son! I'm so grateful to you!" The old man's eyes darkened when he saw the young   
man nearly collapse when he tried to rise. "Daijoubu-yo?" The old man asked frantically.   
"You did not need to do that if it were at the risk of your own health, foolish young   
man!"  
  
Mamoru smiled weakly, "No, it's not you." Then painfully he rose, feeling some of   
the after shocks of healing as well as the darkness that still reigned over the back of   
his mind. They were attacking, whoever 'they' were.  
  
He could feel it in the Earth anguish cries at the invasion and he tried desperately   
to keep his wits about him as he hurried from the room. Stumbling slightly as he tried to   
find a phone, he finally located one in an empty room and grabbed it, dialing a number   
that he had come to know so well by now. A feminine voice interrupted his sickened mood   
as he realized that he had made a mistake, but quickly directed the operator to whom it   
was that he wished to reach. There wasn't enough time! He thought desperately as the   
phone continued to ring. And this was definitely not going to be helping with his   
internship by any means! Mamoru thought darkly, but then pushed away the selfishness   
within him and grabbed onto his duty with both hands, determined not to let such a moment   
of weakness overtake his good sense. "Usako?" He called out softly when the pain became   
too overwhelming to bear silently.  
  
He knew she heard him, she always did, no matter where or when, she always heard   
him. "The enemy is here!" The phone did not stop ringing before those words left his   
lips and Chiba Mamoru fell onto the floor unconscious from the waves of dark battles   
suddenly building to a climax within him. He was not prepared in time to bring up any   
defenses in his human form to be able to deal with the sudden invasion until it took him   
by storm and swept away whatever conscious thoughts he was thinking about.  
  
'Usako... the Earth is in danger!'  
  
All is in darkness now.  
  
"Moshi, moshi?"  
  
  
***  
  
  
"Captain Ajiko, the ship is falling apart!"  
  
"We must find that damned Anamita before she reaches the gates of Gamma 142!"  
  
"But what about--"  
  
The communicator beeped.  
  
The blonde tore her eyes from the screen, annoyed, as she paused the video.   
"Minako-chan," the odangle-blonde whispered on the other end, eyes tearful with worry.   
Her face filled the screen and immediately all thoughts of the movie drifted from Minako's   
mind.  
  
"Usagi-chan?" Minako worriedly turned off her tv and searched the face of her   
friend as she rose from her couch. "Daijoubu yo?"  
  
"I think Mamo-chan was trying to call me just now," Usagi put one hand on her head   
as she closed her eyes. "I felt him, Minako-chan," Usagi whispered in a daze. "There was   
so much pain..."  
  
"What's wrong with Mamoru-san?" Minako asked worriedly. "Usagi-chan? Usagi-chan,   
daijoubu?" The blonde's hand gripped her communicator with increasing alarm.  
  
Usagi shooked her head and looked to her friend, "Minako-chan?" Usagi's voice was   
quivering slightly, but the odangle-blonde shook her head as if to clear it. Her eyes   
hardened in determination as she looked to her friend, "We need to go to the hospital,   
now. Call the others." The screen went blank on the shocked blonde.  
  
  
When Ami got the call she was on the computer, communicating with Core about the   
latest finds on CHAOS and how to destroy this, almost, imaginary virus. Minako's worried   
face showed upon the screen as she peered worriedly up at Ami.  
  
"Ami-chan," the blonde commanded, startling the blue-haired girl with the depth of   
control behind that voice that she had never heard before, or at least, not enough.  
  
"Minako-chan?" Ami widened her eyes in surprise.  
  
"Usagi-chan needs us at the hospital, now!" Minako told her fiercely, head bobbing   
up and down, apparently from running.  
  
"Mina--" the screen went blank.  
  
Go.  
  
The screen printed out.  
  
The blue-haired girl sat shocked for another moment before getting up. Her movement   
slowly increasing in momentum as the worries settled in on the unknowns of what had caused   
Minako to be so abrupt on the communicator and how it tied in with Usagi. Whatever it   
was, she hoped that it had nothing to do with CHAOS.  
  
Please, let Usagi-chan be okay, Ami thought or, I'll never forgive myself otherwise!  
  
  
***  
  
  
They assembled at the foot of the bed, all of them except Rei and the Outers. The   
prince, pale against the sheets looked up at them with haunted, midnight eyes. "Mamo-  
chan?" Usagi reached forth hesitantly. "Daijoubu?"  
  
"Deja vu," Makoto muttered under her breath in distaste. Eyes wondering around the   
room with suspicion.  
  
Ami stepped forth, agitated with worry. "What happened here, Mamoru?" Blue eyes   
still observing all who presided in the room.  
  
"Hai, what's wrong, Mamoru-san?" Minako asked, hands on her hips. Once in awhile,   
the blonde would sneak a look from the prince to the princess with concern shining in her   
eyes.  
  
Usagi lunged into Mamoru arms in that moment, her fears overcoming her. Needing to   
feel his form, solid and real in her hands and not too far out of reach. "I was so   
scared," the odangle-blonde shooked her head in confusion. "I don't even know why, but I   
felt so scared!" She finally pulled back at his insistent tugs and looked into his   
worried eyes. Sniffing, she pushed back a few wavy strands of hair. "You worried me,"   
she told him with a wobbly smile. "I'm glad you're okay now."  
  
The two cats exchanged glances to each other before Artemis nodded to Luna in silent   
agreement. The dark cat bounded onto the bed, "Perhaps, we should be asking, what is   
happening right this moment, Mamoru-san," The dark cat sat down to search those eyes that   
have seen unforgetable horrors, "Ne?" The other asked as she met the prince's haunted   
gaze just as Artemis joined her on the hospital's bed.  
  
Mamoru's eyes darkened even more at the question, his mouth thinning in worry. "The   
Earth is being invaded." Mamoru told them at last with reluctance, causing Usagi to gasp.   
"She's dying."  
  
  
***  
  
  
She kicked the pebble before her, silently looking down at her feet.  
  
"Minako," the blonde looked up surprised at the men beside her. "You seem   
distracted tonight." Grey-violet eyes looked into her own startled ones, "What's wrong,   
Minako?"  
  
She blinked before a sheepish smile came upon her face, as she tried to cover up her   
earlier procupation. "Wrong?" She asked laughingly, nervously backing away slightly.   
"Nothing's wrong, Fuma."  
  
Fuma frowned at her, "If nothing's wrong, then why are you so nervous?"  
  
"Nervous?" Minako waved her hands in front of her face, "Why, I'm not nervous at   
all!" If Fuma ever found out that she was a Sailor Senshi, what would happen to their   
relationship? And what about what Mamoru said about the Earth herself, dying? Ontop of   
all of that, she still had her parents to face, school exams, and Rei to worry about.  
  
'Minako-chan, what are you trying to pull?' Her mother's voice echoed in her ears.   
No. Fuma must never know... but today was the day! Today, the world will know. Then   
where would she be? Will she be alone, again?  
  
"Minako?" His closeness and the earnestness in his eyes surprised her. "Did you   
have a fight with your parents?" She looked away at that, "You didn't ask me to pick you   
up at your house this time. Do they not approve of you dating me? Would it assure them   
if I met up with them, to appease any anxieties? You know, maybe, you should give them   
another chance--"  
  
Her eyes hardening in anger. "Shut up! It's none of your business," she yelled at   
him. "You don't know anything about anything--!"  
  
"Minako," his hands grasped her shoulders. Shaking her slightly, she met his eyes   
defiently this time. "Stop this none sense, you're acting like a spoiled child! You know   
your parents are just worried about you because they love you!"  
  
Her glare softened into tears of pain, "Leave me alone, Fuma. You know nothing--"  
  
He bent and wrapped his arms around her, wishing for once he didn't have to trick   
her mind just to comfort her, just to touch her and hold her and make her believe that it   
wasn't an illusion. Or, perhaps, it was himself that he was trying to convince, wishing   
that this embrace was real. "You're right, Minako, I don't know anything about your   
problems. Demo," he pulled back slightly and touched his forehead to hers, "maybe you can   
tell me. If you don't want me to say anything, I won't. I'll listen, if that's all you   
want," he smiled. "Minako."  
  
"Fuma," the blonde girl before him stared into his eyes. "Arigato, Fuma!" Her   
smile lit up her face. "All I needed to hear, was that."  
  
The sky was darkening into evening around them as the Earth suddenly trembled   
beneath her feet. Nothing quivered in the slightest to show that such a sudden shudder   
that the Earth gave off had happened, but she knew. She felt it inside her. Her blonde   
head turned sharply away from her companion, searching suspiciously around her   
surroundings, but finding nothing.  
  
"Minako? What is it?" Fuma asked. He pulled back slightly to study their   
enviornment before looking back to her in puzzlement, obviously not having registered what   
had happened.  
  
"Did you just feel that?" Minako asked as she met his eyes.  
  
"Feel what?" He was curious now.  
  
The tremor stopped momentarily before the building near them exploded and the force   
sent her flying as the rubbles flew in all directions. Concrete and steel bent and   
mishapened descended like shrapenle onto the streets as panicking people screamed to get   
out of the way. The unfortunate ones were hit by flying debries as others, injured and   
otherwise, ran for their lives. The screams of panic filled the streets as the darkness   
came, gathering to destroy.  
  
Sharp stones cut into her skin as she was assulted by passing pieces of concrete,   
but Minako didn't smash onto the broken ground! Instead, something rubbery caught her in   
mid air. Completely taken off guard since she had been expecting pain instead of being   
gently set to her feet, she opened her blue eyes in surprise. Her mouth hung open as the   
fires roared behind the silhouette of Fuma. What surprised her was that when she looked   
around, surveying what had happened, she saw the wires coil around her, protecting her.   
Fuma stood before her, back turned to her as he watched silently as the monster that had   
smashed into the building appeared. There was no fear, no bewilderment, as the blond man   
before her stood, untouched by fire or by debries. A second one soon joined the first,   
and then a third. They were multiplying right before their eyes! This was definitely not   
good and Minako knew she couldn't take them all on alone.  
  
Minako immediately opened her communicator and beeped everyone. "Min'na! There are   
these giant monsters in downtown Juuban, near the malls. Follow the explosion and you'll   
find us!" Minako was already reaching for her transformation wand.  
  
"Hai!" Was her only answer from the others before she dropped the small   
communicator into her space pocket. She hesitated for a moment, looking to Fuma's back,   
to the world around her before she closed her eyes.  
  
'If you don't want me to say anything, I won't. I'll listen, if that's all you   
want, Minako.' Her smile spread across her lips, sad and hopeful as she looked to the   
henshin in her hands. 'Keep doing that and the whole school will think you're nuts by the   
end of today.' Artemis' voice echoed in her mind, along with the laughter of her friends.   
'Tonight, I'll go home.' She had promised herself at least that much earlier this day,   
and maybe it was all a big misunderstanding between her and her parents. Maybe they   
understood and she just didn't give them a chance to explain because she had been so   
afraid of rejection. Yes, today, she'll return and face what she should've done from the   
beginning! Blue eyes became determined as she opened them to the world, having made her   
choice, her hand rose into the air as she spoke the words that she knew was her destiny.  
  
"Venus Crystal Power, Make-UP!" Minako shouted as the gold engulfed her and soon   
she could feel her strength increase. Smiling she saw that the intricate weave of the   
wires were slowly fading as more and more of the wires were used during the battle between   
youma and machine. Fuma was walking closer to the danger zone -- where the youma forces   
were mainly focused -- and she knew she had to keep him safe!  
  
Struggling to get out of the wired cage that protected her, she quickly set out   
after her date. Along the way, she found a few survivors, whom she quickly helped get out   
of the battle area, using her renewed strength of body and soul. But as Venus got closer   
and closer to Fuma, she was surprised at what she became a witness to. Her eyes widened   
in shock. In Fuma's hand was a ball of power gathering as his body crouched in a fighting   
stance! There was no fear or hesitation in his movements or on his face. "Shin'ne!" He   
hurled the ball into the nearest youma and it exploded upon impact. Wires smashed through   
arms and legs and heads with a speed and accuracy that was frightening. Black blood oozed   
and flowed wherever it could splatter.  
  
What was truly disturbing was that as the youma avoided some of the black slender   
wires that could twist and split and electrocute, the wires themselves changed tactics.   
If their Senshi powers could change course like that, there'd be a lot less damage --   
well, to the surrounding buildings that is -- though the wires didn't leave the buildings   
clean of the guts. Apparently Fuma had some experience with this, she thought, somewhat   
unhappily. She'd better squeeze out whatever other surprises he might have forgotten to   
mention. Yet, for now, there were other, more urgent, events to pay attention to.  
  
Her concentration snapped back into focus as she saw a dark demon strike against   
Fuma, claws extended. "Fuma!" She screamed a warning, but it was too late. It was at   
that exact moment when those claws made contact with Fuma's body as the youma struck the   
blond-haired man and something amazing happened! For all of the years Venus had trained   
as a senshi, she had never seen anything like this happening before, not even from her   
worst enemies! The black claws smashed down toward the body of Kuragari Fuma who was   
gathering his energy again, and the demon went right through him! Her scream rang out a   
denial before it died in her throat. Fuma didn't even stagger. Instead, his form rippled   
and before the youma could finish gaping at him in surprise, he sent the blast smashing   
into the dark being, crushing body to parts that were unrecognizable when the smoke   
finally cleared. "You're not human!" Venus gaped at the young man before her. He   
glanced back at her and blinked in surprise at her present form.  
  
He grinned as he set an arm around her shoulder. "No less human than you!" He   
replied good-naturedly, once he got over his own shock. Yet, there was darkness in those   
eyes that she thought she saw, a sadness that apart of her immediately recognized and made   
her regret her own words.  
  
There was no time for apologies though. A shadow suddenly fell upon them, forcing   
Venus to look away as she aimed, "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" Fuma's cables were   
already smashing toward the monstrous form of the youma, keeping it in place while the   
power of Venus destroyed it. The golden energy ripped through the dark demon's chest,   
crushing through flesh and bone before the screaming dark being disintegrated to ashes.  
  
"Nice shot!" Fuma winked. He surveyed the remaining youma and grinned ferociously.   
"Now, let's finish this, Minako!" He crouched down and then leapt high overhead.  
  
"Fuma! What are you doing?" Venus demanded as the light-haired blond ascended into   
the sky. His hand rose as a large ball of white energy appeared above him. "How--" her   
question died in her throat as to how he knew her real identity as he released another   
attack on the demon hordes.  
  
"Shin'ne!" He cried. Sending the white ball of energy smashing straight at the   
crowd of youma soldiers.  
  
The other senshi arrived just in time to see the energy fly from Fuma's hand and   
descend with the force of a massive bomb, grinding and then engulfing the youma in a fiery   
hell of powerful explosions. Venus was rocked off of her feet and sent flying, but she   
flipped over just before she impacted with the wall, jumping down and then readied herself   
into a battle stance once, ready to take on the next batch of shadow demons that were   
already massing against them. The rest of the inner senshi were sufficiently far enough   
to only get their hair ruffled, along with their fuku. The energy level must have   
attracted them, and already the blonde senshi could see that it was going to get a lot   
more messy than she had earlier thought. "Glad you guys could make it!" She called out   
to the others who were gaping in shock at Fuma who was now floating in the air with an   
arrogant smirk on his lips. "But we'll have more company soon!" Venus broke through   
their shock.  
  
Mercury was typing at her computer as Jupiter smashed one fist into her gloved hand.   
"I've been waiting to get back at them for all the damage they've done last time!"   
Jupiter said with a menacing smile on her lips.  
  
"Get ready min'na, they're slow, but they're not AS stupid." Luna warned as she   
looked at the shadow demons. "They've learned from our last battle!"  
  
"Hai. They're also poisonous and are dangerous! Try not to get hurt and don't let   
them puncture your skin with their claws or their teeth!" Artemis agreed, thought still   
slightly out of breath. That cat definitely needed to workout more, Venus thought   
disapprovingly. Well, no more free rides on my shoulder from now on, she decided with a   
grin!  
  
"Let's do it min'na!" Super Sailormoon shouted.  
  
Venus smiled before a frown came upon her face. "Where's Mars?" She asked. The   
faces of the others clouded over at the question, but there was no time for answers as the   
youma unleashed their first offensive attack onto the new comers.  
  
  
***  
  
  
The hordes of demons and monsters came towards them. Claws shining like black   
shards of crystals gleaming under the electric lights that were set up around them. The   
moon watched over them with silent horror at what was to come as the stars blinked in   
surprise at the dark mass gathering before losing interest and turning indifferent glances   
away from those below. "Klide, check to see how much damage our weapons can do to them!   
Andrews, hold them back! Wrek, I want you to monitor any surprise attacks from the   
eastern side of the battlefield. The rest of you split into teams and go to both north   
and west. Anything goes wrong, call for backup and we'll try to reach you. If it gets   
too difficult, I want you to leave your post as soon as you can! Alyssa can transport us   
when we are together, it will make it less burdensome for her to do so." The teams   
separated.  
  
"Here they come!" Andrews shouted over the roaring stampede of shadowy darkness   
that swallowed the land. It looked like the ground was literally going black and the   
skies shadowed over by the darkness below her.  
  
"It's about time!" Dale loaded his machine gun as Klide took one small gun from his   
pocket.  
  
"Let's see if these babies works!" Klide winked as he aimed and shot one of the   
nearest demons. The thing screamed as the special bullet lodged itself into the body and   
then in less than a second, it expanded and set off a small explosion within the monster's   
body. The mess was disgusting, but it worked perfectly at least. "Bull's-eye!" Klide   
cheered.  
  
Not waiting for another moment, Michaels locked his body into position and sent an   
arch of bullets at the demon population. Some were screaming even! Like, humans...  
  
'Snap out of it and get to work Michaels! Don't get distracted. It's their ass or   
ours!' Michaels sighed at his partner's choice of language.  
  
'Colorful.' But Michaels was already doing everything by instinct and training.   
Dale ran one way and he the other, jumping over boulders and jagged rocks that were   
jutting out of the rough plain. Leaping onto one of the taller rocks, Dale pulled the pin   
from one of the grenades in his hands and threw it far over the heads of the demons before   
leaping down and shooting at the ones close to him again. The bomb smashed down and sent   
a large enough explosion to wipe out all the demons within a meter, as well as knocking   
more off their feet. Michaels and Klide were able to get a few more, with Andrews tailing   
and finishing those closer up before the demons changed strategy and no longer came in   
clusters. The grenades were still useful, but it would be a bad idea to waste too much of   
them on four to five monsters when there were still at least two hundred more advancing in   
their direction! Some of the demons were faster than one could blink, and those Andrews   
smashed into whatever solid thing he could locate.  
  
Fool the eyes but not the mind, the Watcher's voice echoed through their memory.   
Still, it would be a long time before they could forget the horror of the battlefield,   
filled with advancing darkness and the guts of monsters.  
  
  
Sergei threw the round grenades, that looked like balls, toward their enemies. They   
crushed and then exploded when its users were a safer distance away. They were playing a   
game of come and go, advance and then retreat. The demons were truly ugly to look upon.   
The hollowed sockets and scaly skin all acquired a color of sickly yellow-black. Some   
still had blood to show for it, while others remained a deeply charred color, retaining   
only the scent of death and disease.  
  
Katrina smashed whatever youma she could while she shot at the others. She knew she   
couldn't keep this up forever! An hour maybe, but no more. Her training had taught her   
the use of her gift, but she was still unused to the strain it put on her. A few meters   
back she heard Mouse unleash another rocket and then the deafening roar of the guns and   
the explosions going afar drowned the sound, making her ears ring slightly. She wasn't   
going to be hearing much when this was over, Katrina thought wearily. But she was lucky,   
she could mind speak after all, and the sound of those loud weapons wasn't going to deafen   
her mind... she hoped. Apparently the experiment was going well so far. Stretching her   
hand out, Katrina -- as if grasping invisible strands -- swung the demons to one side and   
then another. Knocking down opponents to allow her partner enough time to finish them   
off. Sergei didn't seemed to be disturbed by the human-like screams these things were   
giving off, though the sound did make her skin crawl.  
  
Another explosion nearly rocked her off of her feet, but Katrina refused to lose her   
balance now. It was too dangerous. Some of the demons were too fast to see, so she had   
to rely on her other senses entirely sometimes. "Katrina look out!" Sergei suddenly   
yelled out as she looked behind her startled, just in time to see the grotesque demon come   
upon her. Claws were extended, ready to slash into her flesh. She stopped it only inches   
from her face before smashing its massive body against a boulder not far away. Yet, it   
gave the demons enough time to advance upon her from the other side and she knew there   
were too many of them for her to destroy or hold off. "Retreat!" Sergei called to the   
rest of them. Dodging and slipping past claws and fangs, jumping the last few meters that   
separated them, "You okay?" He asked when he finished blasting a nearby demon as they   
moved back.  
  
"Yes." She answered with a whisper of a smile that she knew he would not catch.   
She'd thank him later for helping her. They moved back toward the western side of the   
field, to catch up with Wrek had Marshal and a few others for backup.  
  
"Damn bastards!" Mouse cried as she sent another rocket through and then without   
wasting a minute, slung the bazooka behind her and rolled out a few grenades before racing   
after them with a speed that was almost frightening.  
  
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say she's about as fast as those demons!" Allan,   
a junior member, commented in amazement.  
  
"Why, thanks for that compliment there!" Mouse's partner, Drake answered with a   
wicked grin.  
  
Allan gave a thumps up sign and then the shootings renewed again, only this time a   
lot messier than before! "I'm just glad that kid's on our side." Sergei commented dryly.  
  
Allan then let out a laugh filled with half insane pleasure as he unleashed the   
grenades into the demons' army and then shot down the first row he saw as he retreated   
with the group. "Man, I love that boy!" Mouse said with a wicked grin of her own.  
  
"Don't get too attached to him now dear!" Drake advised. "I don't want him to   
corrupt you." And that sent the rest of them laughing as they retreated down the line   
toward the west.  
  
  
Wrek was doing pretty good by his standards. He was glad that Marshal was there   
with him and that Tinkan was also chosen. Not that he ever got along with anyone other   
than Andrews, but they made a spectacular team. Marshal's power field was more on the   
side of wind and he could start blowing around -- much like that of Andrews -- Wrek used   
his ability to ice and the two were able to freeze half the army in fifteen minutes. The   
great thing about Tinkan was that she had an itch to destroy things. So the process of   
freezing and shattering began and spread like wild fire -- or ice in their case -- along   
the western side of the front.  
  
"Let's get creative with the leftovers!" Tinkan suggested when they finished off   
the last of the ones they froze.  
  
"I can't think of a better recreation!" Wrek agreed. Marshal looked perplexed but   
said nothing as Wrek raised his arms above his head. Tinkan had already started to bomb   
the oncoming demons as Wrek called upon his powers again. The air above him turned cold   
as several large spears of ice appeared in the air. "Destroy!" Wrek cried out as he   
unleashed the spears that smashed through the army. Puncturing several large holes   
through the massing monsters.  
  
Wrek laughed insanely at the sight and gloated at his triumph when he faltered at a   
sudden coldness within. His eyes widened as he clutched to his chest and fell to the   
ground. Marshal looked over alarmed. "Wrek! What's wrong?" There was no time to wait   
for an answer though, so Marshal and Tinkan fought of the darkness as they tried   
desperately to talk Wrek out of his shock.  
  
And then the wailing of dark despair escaped Wrek's constricted throat and rolled   
unendingly across the field. Shattering the momentary triumph and battle cries as its   
depth of grief slammed like a sea unmerciful, drowning all who could hear it.  
  
  
Klide swore when he saw the sudden mass assembling before them, unleashing three   
small grenades at the large shadow demon. "Die!" The claws came toward the young man who   
was lucky enough to jump out of reach just in time. That was when things started to go   
wrong. Dale realized that the experimental weapons would only work when the demons did   
not mass together into one hard lump, and had to call upon his powers. A sudden stiff   
breeze started. Andrews, startled, looked over to see that a few demons were already   
heading toward Dale who was not protected. Hating the younger man, but knowing that   
revenge would have to wait, he extended his hand and smashed away a few of the monsters,   
blasting whatever things were left. Andrews' distraction left himself vulnerable, and   
unfortunately for him, an unnaturally fast monster noticed his distraction and raced   
toward him. Claws extended, the other man didn't have enough time to widen his eyes at   
the sudden dark presence before the crystal-black claws ripped through his body.  
  
Dale snapped open his eyes at that moment, his powers unleashed to smash onto half   
of the demon army as the wind crushed them to the ground, splattering guts all over the   
field. Then the wailing screams began in the west. Michaels saw that there was no way   
that he would be able to eliminate the rest of the army without losing more men and not   
wanting that to happen, he sent a broadcast for all of them to gather at the west -- in   
case Wrek was in no shape to move or obey. Michaels deliberately told Dale to lead Klide   
to Wrek. 'What about you?' Dale demanded.  
  
'I have to finish the business here, as well as make sure no one else get   
backstabbed by a demon.' Michaels answered and then tossed Dale a grenade. 'Run!'   
Michaels didn't wait before he crouched down and jumped into the air, leaving Dale with no   
choice but to run. He got far enough before the bomb exploded and killed whatever demons   
were in its reach. Then he heard the last thoughts of his partner and friend, 'Tell   
Alyssa that I said hi.' Then the communication fell to silence.  
  
Andrews twitched and Michaels looked over to the man. "You weren't always so bad   
you know?" Michaels smiled. "Now, you can rest my friend."  
  
Andrews snorted as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth and the hole in his   
chest. Apparently it missed his heart, but he was rapidly starting to lose consciousness.   
"Bastard!" Andrews groaned, though Michaels was not sure whom the other was referring to.  
  
Michaels' hands clutched to the special bomb in his hand. It was especially made   
for him and his gift of spreading fire. He fairly flew into the air! Landing between   
demons, searching for the center of their power, the center of their weakness. He found   
it at last, moving faster than he ever moved to make sure he would be able to reach it as   
the last act for his world. His hands crushed the bomb as he made one last leap into the   
darkened sky.  
  
He felt the fire inside explode and expand in those small micro-seconds as he's mind   
dove into the bomb and then the fire woke to life just as the large claws of the demons   
grabbed for his dying body. It was already too late, for the fire was already spreading   
its wings, and like a hell bent serpent within the sky it bared its fangs to its enemies   
with a cry of rage. It rose and raised its head, roaring as its claws and tail swirled to   
the sudden wind that suddenly sprang from the dying body of the man named Andrews.  
  
A million screams rang over the field as Dale watched from afar, hands clutched as   
Klide stood beside him in shock. Then the wailing began, and this time it was Dale who   
the sound originated from as Klide looked over to the young man in horror. Dale had   
already fallen to his knees, clutching his head in pain. It was the first time, in a long   
while, since he felt the absolute silence and total absence of his partner within his   
mind. The oppressiveness of the darkness within -- in comparison to the hell bent dragon   
in the sky -- drowned the younger man into an overwhelming feeling of loneliness.  
  
Andrews, from the corner of the field, looked to the beast of fire in the sky and a   
weary grin came upon his lips. His vision blurred as he reached a hand toward the beast.   
'Show off!' Andrew murmured to the man who was burning within the belly of the beast as   
he lent his last breath of power to the destruction of what lay before him. The dragon   
roared in triumph as the fire spread and then engulfed the body of Andrews with its rage   
and determination. Wrek, a mile away fell unconscious. His wailing now only within his   
head as Wrek could only see his partner going up into the flames of the power of death.  
  
"No!" Dale screamed and screamed and screamed. But still the silence in his head   
was unending. 'No!' His mind echoed but it fell to silence again and again, just as the   
Watcher's presence engulfed the wailing across the fields and across the minds of her   
followers, taking them home.  
  
'Later partner.' The serpent's eyes closed as the last of its fiery breath   
killed the remaining army of demonic monsters, cleansing the field with its last breath of   
life. The dragon then fell from its heavenly throne in the sky, descending to the ground   
below and shattering into a million pieces of sputtering flames that soon died away.   
Thus, only its ashes remained of the dead dragon king as it was scattered to the wind and   
rose once more into the distant sky, lost to the darkening night.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Katrina narrowed her eyes angrily, believing that if she were bombarded with any   
more empty darkness, she would've gone up in smoke like Michaels and Andrews. In fact, at   
the moment, she wished that she did! Wrek was unconscious and Dale was in worse shape   
since he wasn't. And now Alyssa has asked her to bring them back. Back from what? She   
knew their pain but she had no clue how she was suppose to get rid of it! But Alyssa   
insisted, and when it came to Alyssa, insisting was worse than a command because she was   
being nice about it. Why did that woman have to be so damn insisting? Katrina swore in   
Russian. Sergei looked to her worried, albeit, a bit amused at the ranting within her   
head.  
  
'Stay out of this!' Katrina warned her partner.  
  
'Hey, I didn't say anything!' Sergei waved her off with a weary grin.  
  
'You never had to!' Katrina bit back.  
  
Sighing, Sergei patted her on the shoulder and turned to leave. 'Whatever you say   
dear!' Sergei answered.  
  
'Oh, shut up!' She swore again at how he could rile her so easily.  
  
'It's time.' Alyssa's overwhelming presence came within her head. She was so   
startled that she jumped in surprise. 'Sorry if I startled you, but your ranting was   
taking us nowhere.' Apparently, Alyssa got tired of waiting.  
  
'I don't know how to get rid of the pain!' Katrina replied in frustration.  
  
'I didn't ask you to get rid of it,' Alyssa answered evenly. 'It's beyond you right   
now, you don't have the training or the years of experience for it.' Well, *that*   
explains a lot! Katrina sighed in defeat. 'I want you to open the windows and door of   
their minds again. I want *you* to show them the light.'  
  
'Why me?' Katrina demanded.  
  
'Because, they wouldn't be able to handle me,' was Alyssa's only answer before the   
other left her mind. "Get ready!" the dark-haired woman called to her from the door.   
"You'll be starting in a minute." There was no turning back now, and it wasn't as if she   
had a choice about it to begin with. Yet, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't a bit   
excited and proud that Alyssa had chosen her for the task of reviving the dark minds of   
Dale and Wrek.  
  
That scared her. It scared her to know that even though her heart was aching at the   
knowledge that Michaels had died, a man who had been her teacher and her leader but a few   
hours ago, and Wrek -- as annoying as he had been -- had worked out okay in the end, she   
couldn't cry. She couldn't blot out the dark hole within her own heart either, nor could   
she laugh it off like Sergei. Somehow, along the way of becoming a soldier in this war,   
Alyssa had conditioned them to forget the meaning of tears.  
  
  
***  
  
  
"Well, looks like we missed the city of love!" Uranus commented wearily as she   
brushed back a strand of wavy blond.  
  
The city of love, once the beautiful capital of France, now smouldered before them.   
Paris was still burning, but much of the city was now black and charred. There were no   
more people around to bury the dead, and the looters -- already infected and soon to die   
-- didn't care. So, the burning began! At first, it was by those who stubbornly refused   
to leave their loved ones behind, but now the looters did it to stop the smell of rotting   
flesh. Apparently, the fire got out of hand once the population diminished to maybe a   
hundred or less. So the city burned while the looters migrated. The helicopter behind   
them churned. They brought two, since Saturn had yet to earn her license and they   
couldn't afford any accidents along the way. It would be safer if they were partnered,   
that way someone could always look out for someone else's back if they ran into trouble.   
"Not even the youma stuck around here!" Neptune commented, as she looked up from her   
mirror.  
  
"It's a city already dead." Saturn replied sadly.  
  
Just because Saturn couldn't fly didn't mean they could ban her from becoming a   
senshi again. Especially since it would be safer if she could have her glaive and fuku   
ready to fight and protect herself from the dark forces, or human forces, now, as well.   
Upon becoming the senshi, the innocence in her eyes disappeared and the graveness of her   
manner returned. It was unsettling and it saddened all three of the Outer Senshi since   
they couldn't save Saturn from this. Not from herself, that task was as impossible as it   
was inevitable. "It is not here." Pluto set a hand on Saturn's shoulder. "We must leave   
soon. I think we should look around to see if we can find any fuel that would be   
available for use later on." They agreed and split. The communicator would allow them to   
find each other no matter where the others were. Anyway, this city was deserted and no   
one would interfere. Not even a youma.  
  
Uranus and Neptune headed down toward the Eiffel Tower,which once stood tall and   
proud. Now, its jagged edges protruded like Death, broken and watching the world below   
while its black body shadowed the sky and covered the ground. Neptune stopped dead in her   
tracks as she looked up toward the tower. Uranus was saying something but stopped as well   
once the blonde realized that her partner was no longer responsive. Uranus glanced back   
to her in surprise. "Neptune?" she asked tentatively.  
  
Neptune heard her lover, but it sounded as if Uranus' voice was a million miles   
away. All she could do was stare at the tower of horrors before her, for there she saw   
the talismans gleaming red beneath a bloody sky. There, she saw an ethereal princess   
standing before the shadows. And then the rising angels came and shrouded her from   
darkness. A path of rainbow and white joined one lone senshi to the princess, she who   
held a small star shining within her hands. Neptune saw the gleaming blade cut down the   
star upon its tip, falling to the ground from the sky above. The falling star could not   
be saved as the princess's silent tear trailed down in despair. All the while, a doll-  
like man, dressed in black, lay at the princess's feet hanging, hanging, hanging...  
  
"Michiru!" She blinked in surprise and looked, finding only darkness.  
  
"Hai?" She asked with a slight shudder, wrapping her own arms around herself.   
Suddenly, she felt so cold...  
  
"You were looking at the Eiffel Tower as if it were cursed," Uranus commented.   
Blue eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion. "What did you see?" Neptune's eyes could not   
look away from the ghastly tower and its foreboding tale.  
  
"I saw a sea drowning in its own tears." Neptune finally gave a deceptive answer   
before turning once more to set her sad aqua eyes to focus on her love. But she could not   
forget. On impulse she cast her gaze once more upon the broken tower, but the ghostly   
images did not return. Only the memories lingered and the wind whispered. Uranus cocked   
her head, as she listened to the secrets the wind told her. All Neptune could hear was   
the weeping ocean, far off, calling in despair as its crashing waves leapt against the   
shore. The coldness seeped into her as she once again remembered what she saw, remembered   
the path of rainbow and white leading to the princess. A great chain of fate formed from   
one innocent to the next. Remembered the falling star as the angels slowly rose, as the   
doll-like man in the distance hanging beneath the princess's feet--  
  
"We should go." Uranus said, cutting off her thoughts again. Breaking the silence   
as the wind settled around them. "There are a few places that aren't so badly damaged by   
the fire and they might still have a thing or two for us to take." Apparently the other   
would not push for an explanation of her ambiguous words this time.  
  
She shuddered ever so slightly, wrapping her arms around herself as she turned away   
from the tower. We're no better than the looters, her mind idly commented, trying to   
erase the memory of the vision inside her head. Yet, she could not escape the images   
replaying within her mind, her Prince's and Princess's future. She did not answer Uranus,   
only followed the other to continue her duty, knowing that there was no return from the   
path she had chosen. It can't be helped, this future, our destiny, Neptune thought. And   
so the future came from upon the Earth from the distant horizon, setting like the sun.   
Yet, Neptune only saw the doll-like man hanging, hanging, hanging, before he too fell like   
the star, and smashed into the pieces of a black oblivion.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Her face flashed upon the screen as he read her file again. This was the infamous   
Sailor Senshi Mercury? To say that he was surprised was an understatement since Mizuno   
Ami was not what he would've labeled as a warrior of any type except of debate, and she   
couldn't possibly be one of those silly girls playing heroine and running around in mini-  
skirts. He sighed. Since obtaining the files, he hadn't had time to think about Ami's   
secret identity, except to use her for research purposes, he hadn't been thinking about   
Ami in any way! Now that he had gone through those files three times, he had time to   
ponder over exactly what he was going to do with the information he had! It was awfully   
silly now that he thought about her earlier screen name of Mercury. Could she be 'that'   
obvious? Yet, up until now he never made the connection, but that didn't make knowing   
about it any less silly!  
  
Her blood type seemed normal enough, but checking it could tell him something.   
Intrigued that maybe her blood was different if Ami was a genuine Sailor Senshi, Core   
reached into the data files and began to reconstruct the DNA of what made Mizuno Ami,   
well, Mizuno Ami! What he found startled him. This human was not so normal afterall.   
Not, with the sample of her last blood test anyway. He wondered if she knew that her DNA   
structure had changed since the blood test she took before 1992. There must be something   
special about that date.  
  
Core scrolled through the newspaper clippings of that time, looking for a clue. He   
started with Tokyo, since it might have been a local thing and discovered something he   
couldn't really write off as coincidence. It was the year of their first appearance, and   
what startled him was that she must have been fourteen when she started to be a senshi!   
That means he had been out of the information loop for this for four years now! Where the   
hell had those living connections in Tokyo been when it came to things like this? One   
would think it would be something that would've caught his attention sooner than now!  
  
He wondered what CHAOS had done to her blood so far, being that she was still alive,   
even healthy! He took a sample structure of the virus and inserted the molecular   
structure into her DNA structure. In normal human beings, the virus would eat straight   
through the DNA, splitting the links and destroying everything within the blink of an eye!   
But it was different this time, for the virus could not go through and instead attached   
itself like a parasite, onto the structure of the DNA. Unable to alter it, CHAOS died,   
but stains of it remained on the outer shell of the DNA. It would make Mercury a   
temporary host, but that was about it.  
  
Core gasped. He had found his answer to his unsolved riddle that CHAOS had given   
him. But was he ready? And now the question remained. Are you ready to sacrifice her to   
the world, so that it could have her blood? Then what would they be? If he allowed this   
information out into the world, it would make human kind into monsters! Hunting after a   
girl for her blood so that they could survive. He liked her too, so the decision only   
came down on him harder as the numbers of dead steadily rose.  
  
What was he trying to save?  
  
She didn't have enough blood to save half of the people still suffering. And if she   
did, he would have been the cause of making them all monsters!  
  
Core paused and rolled the thought over in his mind. What could he do to save the   
world and save this girl as well? Because if anyone found out about this and it got out   
into the public, the world would become a vampiric monster, hunting to kill and suck the   
blood out of helpless girls who had once been guardians protecting the lands. What would   
he do now? Now that he had solved the riddle, he came to a question even harder to answer   
than the one before!  
  
What type of monster would he choose for mankind to be? A dead one or one who might   
as well be dead?  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
  
* Daisuki - means "I love you" as well. This is something I got off of the manga   
Marmalade Boy. So it has backing, Plus I think it is a lighter way of saying it, less   
"deep" so to speak ^_~  
  
* Pharoh 90 is hopefully not spelt wrong because I'm sure I got this off of Alex Glover's   
translation. ;p  
  
* Yatta - Minako exclaimed this when she found out where Mamoru proposed to Usagi. It   
means "Alright!"  
  
* Na ni? - "What?"  
  
- also note that in the manga, Mamoru, Usagi and the Senshi has a special link. Usagi can   
telepathically call out to Mamoru and the senshi and they will hear her, I'm assuming it   
works the other way as well in this fic.  
  
- With "the Watcher", in case you have forgotten (which I almost did), Alyssa first   
introduced herself by two titles, "the Watcher (of the world)" and "Gate Keeper" in Sheep   
4 ^-^;; If you are confused the reference comes from that part of the story. Feel free to   
look it up again, I had to ^-^;; (from your very sheepish and very forgetful author)  
  
- This is by far my longest chapter, but I think Chapters 9 and 10 will beat it ^-^;;  
  
- Special Note: Wow! You made it with me up to here! I'm impressed! Now, the later   
chapters has all been rewritten, and they've never seen the light of day on the web like   
these previous six that I had rushed onto the net about a year ago. I hope the ending   
lives up to all your expectations! Thank you for the support, I had not known there were   
still people reading my first epic story ^-^;; And thank you for those of you who started   
with me last year (or was it the year before that?) and continued to follow this tale up   
to this point! I'm so glad you are still tuning in on the newly editted versions of the   
old chapters :) And I'd especially like to thank my editor who thought I had totally   
given up on this project when I stopped writing it for awhile (once I fearfully realized I   
had to rewrite about chapters 7-10 again, roughly around a hundred pages) and was actually   
still there to offer her assistance when she realized that I hadn't given up! My first   
editor too :) This will be my first middle of the story Author's Note, enjoy the rest of   
the story! Later!  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
  
A tribute to...   
A. L. Campo (my editor),  
His Lordship Chaos,  
Ken Wolfe, &  
Angus MacSpon.  
  
For Don, who was one of the first to  
believe in me and this project that  
took a life of its own.  
  
And everyone who had helped & encouraged  
me during my trials and my errors ^_^;;  
  
Thank you for every dream and every  
inspiration...  
  
Thank you for everything.  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com 


	7. The Seventh Sheep Named Destruction

A Note to the Readers: All contents in this story is under an artistic license. Fact and   
fiction will be clomped together into one huge blob. In other words, don't bother me about   
debating whether some conversations in this fanfic is truly based on fact... as Naoko   
Takeuchi has done many times. Truth, after all, is an elusive thing! ^-~. Enjoy!  
  
When All the Good Angels Sleep  
******************************  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
"No te engano la primavera"Did spring never deceive you  
con besos que no florecieron?"with kisses that didn't blossom?"  
  
--Pablo Neruda  
("The Book Of Questions")  
  
  
"And I looked, and behold a pale horse:  
and his name that sat on him was Death."  
  
--Bible: New Testament  
(Revelation 6:8)  
  
  
The Seventh Sheep Named Destruction  
-----------------------------------  
  
Speak of me as I am. Nothing extenuate,  
Nor set down aught in malice.  
--William Shakespeare  
("Othello")  
  
"When the sun shall be darkened,  
when the stars shall be thrown down,  
when the mountains shall be set moving,  
when the pregnant camels shall be neglected,  
when the savage beasts shall be mustered,  
when the seas shall be set boiling,  
when the souls shall be coupled,  
when the buried infant shall be asked for what sin  
she was slain,  
when the scrolls shall be unrolled,  
when the heaven shall be stripped off,  
when Hell shall be set blazing,  
when Paradise shall be brought nigh,  
then shall a soul know what it has produced."  
--Qur'an  
("The Darkening" 81:1-14)  
  
  
"There are ten-thousand injustices in the world for  
every deed done in justice. There are a million  
more impulsive crimes done for every good deed.  
You have the dream that one day, you might be  
able to save a few in this world and hide them away  
in that brilliant crystal world that you will come  
to build and rule over. Perhaps even eternally.  
Yet, I must remind you, of those ten thousand  
injustices in the world for that one justice, of  
thosemillion wrongs to that one right, they all  
balances a balance you have often been unwilling  
to face. But remember, there is a price for  
every paradise you build, and the higher the stakes  
of the game, the greater the price. It is all a  
test of will. How much do you want this Serenity?  
How much do you believe? Is the future you  
dream of truly reality, or just another fleeting  
fantasy? Because to make it is more than just a  
fight with cuts and bruises. How much are you  
willing to sacrifices for that dream of perfect  
Utopia, of peace and love and everlasting life?  
Are you willing to surrender everything for that  
dream, even sacrifice the things that can never be  
replaced; for example, the lives of the ones you  
love? Because after paying for it, would you ever  
deem that the dream was not worth the price? If  
so, then we might as well have already lost."  
  
--Sailor Senshi Pluto  
("Letters To The Queen")  
  
  
  
  
'The threat is gone.'  
  
She turned, unsure, as she looked to faces she thought she should recognize but did   
not. They smiled and in their transparent depth of beauty, she wondered why those smiles   
seem to bring so much sorrow in her heart. 'We believe in you, Sailor Moon.'  
  
"Endymion!" She looked to the pale and beautiful face of the man below her feet.   
His eyes stared back to her unseeing, unblinking, and glassy with a paling blue, as if his   
life -- an ocean -- was swept away by one thundering storm. She then comprehended that the   
steel, protruding from his chest did something to him that she could not read upon his   
face... 'Keep your hopes alive Usako, and I'll be there with you every inch of the way.'  
  
Her dark eyes misted into darkness as she turned from the light and looked down to   
the ravaged city stretched before her, hanging beneath the broken body at her feet and knew   
the end was here. Upon the distant ground, in the fragile form of a child just turning into   
a woman, the power of stillness rested and in the dull gleam of the blade she could not look   
away from. She knew the end, and lost all sight of the light that formed protectively   
around her.  
  
Thump.  
  
Hope.  
  
Thump, thump.  
  
Hope is a lie.  
  
  
***  
  
  
His breath caught in his throat as he dodged into the shadows between the buildings.   
Face pale with exertion, he stumbled on, hands clutching the tattered rags around his neck   
to protect him from the chill of the night. The foggy air of his breaths, the darkness of   
the sky, and the silent death plane before him should've made him mad by now. Now, the only   
thing that kept him going was his stubborn determination to get the message to Core.  
  
The explosion had half blinded him, and in the dark recesses of his mind he could   
see those that he had worked with and trusted for decades be swallowed by the flames. He   
remembered Sarah's arm flying past his face without the rest of her. He remembered the   
blood that littered the floor and the blackness that climbed up the walls as the flames   
licked and winked at him seductively, dangerously, and threateningly.  
  
'You are alive because I let you live,' her voice echoed in his mind.  
  
The shadows shifted before him, the moonlight dimmed and the streets trembled   
beneath his feet and then was silenced by a force unseen. He could feel it, the tremble of   
the Earth, dying beneath his feet, cowering in fear. He could feel it, his heartbeat   
bumping weakly against his chest and the blood flowing with a lackadaisical wonder through   
his veins, as if having forgotten the ways of life. And he knew that the end was near, but   
he wasn't sure anymore if it was his end, the end of the Earth, or both.  
  
'You are nothing.' The woman had told him. Those eyes of crimson, lazy and   
cynical, bore into him like the flames had bored into the walls, scorching his skin. Those   
eyes that were as red as the blood beneath his feet, as red as the flames hungrily eating   
away everything he had known and loved, as red as the unforgiving sky above his head, or was   
that all just in his own head?  
  
"I am Hector Kalic," he muttered under his breath over and over again. Reminding   
himself of who he was, of his duty, of his mission and his purpose to survive, to go on. To   
escape those burning eyes and that sweet, deceiving smile. To escape the memories of the   
world blown asunder as those around him died within that blinding, white explosion. That   
woman who had come to him, reaching out to him, saving him and condemning him all at once.  
  
'Scrambling to meet your little pet, Core, is it?'  
  
He had been adamant then. His only colleague left, the only person he could trust.   
Core's location, he would give to no one. In fact, not even he was sure exactly where Core   
was, only that through the telephone that had been destroyed in the explosion, he could   
reach Core, the voice of the net.  
  
I must find Core and warn him.  
  
I must save him from that woman, from that monster!  
  
Kalic stumbled, his knees buckling as he staggered then fell onto the dirty ground   
of ash and water. The ground littered with the pieces of the dead. His head drooped, for   
he was so very tired... No! This cannot be my grave! I must find Core and warn him of   
that woman. That woman with red flames in her eyes and hair of silky black. That dangerous   
woman who can ruin everything!  
  
'Your life and death means nothing to this world. Tell me, tell me where Core is!'  
  
"No!" Kalic shook his head in the dark, "Never." But it was too late. She knew.   
She had smiled at him and petted his head and called him a 'good boy'. As if he was nothing   
but a dog that had obeyed her every whim.  
  
The anger gave him a little strength and he pushed up from all fours and tried to   
stand, using the wall as a support. He fought to stand, fought to rebel against the   
dark-fires of her eyes that scorched his mind. 'You are alive because of me, because I   
allowed you to live. If you tell me, I'll let you see the Utopia of my dreams.'  
  
"Never!" Kalic spat. Never will I give in to that woman! But his muscles refused   
his mind, could not take his anger and the hunger and the disease of his ravaged shell of a   
body. There was no strength in him to go forth. No strength. Slumping against the grimy   
wall, he did the only thing he could; he closed his eyes as the tears of helplessness   
slipped past his lids. They soon stopped altogether for he had not even the strength to cry   
and sleep came to him like a blanket of snow that would cover the ravaged Earth at the end   
of a most terrible winter.  
  
*I think that life is like a cup of coffee, it's bitter but it wakes you up. Sounds   
silly, doesn't it?* he asked.  
  
*Of much philosophical worth I'm sure,* Setsuna had smiled that time. She rarely   
ever smiled and when she did, it was like night turning into day. *I need you to take care   
of him,* those eyes of crimson looked into his. They were old eyes, though not lacking the   
gentle understanding and mysterious sadness that Setsuna always carried around with her when   
she visited.  
  
*He's not human,* and Setsuna had nodded in confirmation. *But don't worry, I want   
to get to know him. I want to prove to myself that those loony science-fiction authors   
never knew what they were talking about when they said that machines had no feelings.*  
  
*A taste of humanity?* She had asked with surprise but she was smiling again in   
approval and it made him so happy.  
  
*A taste of heaven,* he smiled. *After all, we can't spend our lives drinking   
coffee now, can we? It's too bitter.* He made her laugh when he had wrinkled his nose   
slightly at that last statement, and it was something he would never forget. *So what's his   
name, assuming that he has one, that is?*  
  
*Core,* Setsuna told him. *His name is Core.*  
  
"Core," he whispered before the darkness swallowed him whole.  
  
I'm sorry.  
  
  
***  
  
  
"Let's do it min'na!" Super Sailor Moon shouted.  
  
Venus smiled before a frown came upon her face. "Where's Mars?" She asked. The   
faces of the others clouded over at the question, but there was no time for answers as the   
youma unleashed their first offensive attack onto the new comers.  
  
The dark energy exploded near them, but all of them had jumped clear. When the   
smoke cleared Venus could clearly see that this was true and other than a few minor   
scratches here and there, everyone was safe, everyone was fine. And Fuma was in the middle   
of it all.  
  
Jupiter had landed near her, while Mercury and Super Sailor Moon had been a ways   
down the other way. "So are you going to tell me what the deal with Mars is?" Venus asked   
as she let out a stream of energy after Jupiter had unleashed her own lightening.  
  
The brunette looked grimly out at the field before her, but Venus was unsure if it   
was the situation itself that made the other seemed so gloomy. "It's Kagemi-san," Jupiter   
uttered more bitterly than Venus ever heard her. "He got in the way again." Gloved hands   
rose and before she could answer or ask any more questions, lightening blinded her vision.   
"Jupiter Oak EVOLUTION!"  
  
Venus took a step back at the out burst of energy from her friend and fellow senshi,   
brows frowning in distaste. If Jupiter kept using up her energy like that she wouldn't last   
long into the battle, Venus reflected with worry. What's gotten into her? Ever since that   
attack in school, Jupiter's control over her powers, as well as herself, had been   
fluctuating dangerously. She's not thinking, she's letting her feelings control her and run   
away with her!  
  
Venus suddenly realized that she had done the exact same thing at her parent's   
house. She remembered how much more pensive Usagi was, how her princess broke down more and   
more under a pressure she could not see or hear or smell. She remembered Ami's somber   
speech, the blue-haired girl's sharp retorts. And most of all she remembered the burning   
glare within the eyes of a possessed Rei, turning to her with that dark smile and a promise   
of an even darker future. All of these points to these dark happenings in the last few   
months, she was sure of it. All of these tied in with their new enemies somehow. All those   
years ago, when she had been alone, with only Artemis as her lone partner in crime, and the   
others--  
  
No, that was the past. This time she won't screw up. But this time she had to rely   
on herself as much as the others. She had not realized how long she had depended on Usagi   
to make all the decisions as Sailor Moon, she had not realized how long she had let herself   
float from the responsibilities she should not have shied away from. Too long she had   
allowed herself to slack on her own duties, to let her friends get hurt, to let them become   
so disorganized and broken. She should've been watching her Princess more closely, she   
should've trusted Ami's judgement and immediately put to action the ideas the blue-haired   
girl had offered. She should've been more attentive to Makoto's growing distance and   
emotional out-bursts that were absurdly unusual. She should've taken the hint from the   
haunted look in Rei's eyes and that day at the temple when Kagemi Hiketsu, that cool and   
distant friend of Rei's, had practically threw them out with that wild panic and worry in   
his eyes. She should've known!  
  
Her body reacted, fought and lashed out at the darkness before her as she finally   
saw what she should've seen years ago when she first taken her mantle as a Sailor Senshi, as   
a Leader to a team. And she was ashamed of her actions to her parents, to her friends, and   
to Fuma who should not be here fighting beside her. To everyone who's lives she had put to   
risk, who's emotions she had blindly hurt in her ignorance.  
  
Not this time! Minako promised herself as she gathered her powers from within,   
"Venus, Love and Beauty SHOCK!" Unleashing her powers upon her enemies.  
  
Blue eyes turned to Mercury who was furiously typing away, "Mercury, we can't hold   
them back like this. What is it we must do?" Venus asked.  
  
Mercury looked startled at the purpose in those usually cheerful eyes, surprised at   
the steel in her voice and the command in her tone. However, the blue-haired senshi quickly   
slipped back into professionalism, blue eyes looking to her screen as she thought. "We need   
a powerful attack to beat them back and then beat them down." Mercury analyzed. "They are   
not hard to kill, it is all about the ratio between us and them. We have more powers but   
they have more fighters, weak fighters but they still can fight. Plus, their claws are   
poisonous, so close combat is out of the question, which leave us with only magical attacks,   
but that can be draining on us."  
  
Venus nodded as her beam swept across the field, her eyes snapping between her   
targets and watching Jupiter's back. "Do you think a Planet Attack can do the trick?"   
Venus asked.  
  
Mercury swept up her arms and lashed out with an Aqua Rhapsody before answering,   
only slightly out of breath. "It will have to be more powerful than our usual Planet   
attack, but it could do the trick. However, an attack that big and considering how long it   
has been since our last actual battle with anything on this scale, it'll be more draining   
than before."  
  
"So we're a little out of shape," Jupiter said, having been listening to the whole   
conversation. The other shrugged off Mercury's warning with a smirk, "We can do it!"  
  
"It'll leave us vulnerable if they attack us again," Mercury continued to caution.  
  
"There are no other choices," Super Sailor Moon said as she twirled her tiara -- one   
of her weakest attacks -- out into the youma army.  
  
"There probably are other choices," Mercury sighed, "we just don't have time to   
think them up."  
  
"Do you think we can do it without Mars?" Venus asked.  
  
At this Mercury's face become a frown, "I don't know. It'll be dangerous."  
  
"Have we any other ideas anytime soon?" Jupiter demanded.  
  
Super Sailor Moon paused at this, "Maybe she'll show up." Their odango leader   
proposed hopefully.  
  
"Maybe," Venus muttered, "but we can't hold them off much longer without a better   
plan!"  
  
And the truth of her words brought fear.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Her communicator lay scattered on the ground as she rose defiantly against him. His   
height allowed him to loom over her, but she did not fear him one bit. Her burning eyes   
looked up to him, her hair stuck to her from her own perspiration and the room smelled of   
fire.  
  
Fire against fire.  
  
Will against will.  
  
Her gaze burned itself into his own stubborn stare. "You cannot hold me here!" She   
shouted at him, "I have to go to them! They need me!"  
  
"You're sick! You haven't finished recovering, and you know that if you go without   
the cleansing what exactly might happen to you and those around you! Everyone will be in   
danger, especially yourself!" He retorted stubbornly.  
  
"But the cleansing takes weeks!" She threw up her hands in disgust and she stormed   
away from him, "I haven't weeks to spare!"  
  
"You're putting your own life on the line." He replied, and his tone softened with   
worry.  
  
She was too angry to hear this as she swivelled back and headed straight for him.   
He soon found himself looking down at the top of her head as she poked her index finger at   
his chest, her voice clear and filled with ire. "Give it back! It's mine, damn it! My   
life, my henshin, and my decision to face whatever may come my way! Give it back!"  
  
He couldn't help himself from convulsively holding her shoulders and shaking her as   
if he could shake her out of her anger, perhaps it might even put some sense back into her   
mind! "Listen to me, Rei-chan." His blue gaze meeting head on to her blazing glare, "If   
you go to them like this that thing could get out, it could possess you completely. You   
have not recovered, we don't know if the spirit is still within you, and I will not allow   
you to commit spiritual suicide."  
  
"They will die without me." She told him, purple eyes unwavering.  
  
He sighed, resting his forehead on hers and startling her enough to still her   
completely. "Rei-chan, I cannot let you go out there knowing you will get hurt."  
  
"I am a Sailor Senshi, it is my job to protect people from that darker force. I am   
a miko, it is my duty to shield people from the darkness and evil that's festering in Japan   
and the rest of the dying world. I am what and who I am, my purpose and destiny is to give   
my life for others!" For the first time she smiled at him sadly, "Let me go, Hiketsu-kun,   
let me go."  
  
He blinked at her, never had she ever uttered his name with endearment, not since   
youth when she had casually done so just to tease him. "Rei... chan?"  
  
"You are right, I cannot go like this." Rei continued to speak and he was relieved   
that she was finally giving in. The determination returned into her eyes that brightened at   
an idea, "We must perform the--"  
  
His eyes snapped knowing where she was going with that, "No." He told her darkly.  
  
"It can be done!" She insisted and was angry again at him for refusing her of   
everything! "Especially with you, Hiketsu! You have the skill and the ability, and I have   
the will for it!"  
  
"It's too dangerous--"  
  
She blew at her bangs with exasperation, eyes rolling in annoyance. "The world is   
in danger, being a Senshi is dangerous, life is dangerous! Of for the sake of Kami-sama you   
know it's true, Hiketsu." She finally said after trying very hard to calm herself a bit,   
"Even you cannot protect me from that!"  
  
"I wish I could keep you safe for just a little longer," Hiketsu finally said. Rei   
looked to him startled at this earnest admission as his blue eyes stared back at her   
steadily, gauging her reaction. "Are you surprised at this Rei-chan?"  
  
"Hiketsu," she blinked before tentatively bring up one hand to touch his cheek. A   
sad smile spread across her lips but the strength of her conviction remained within those   
onyx eyes, "please do this for me." Her arms wrapped around his waist as she pressed her   
ear to his heart. She hardly asked for anything in her life, making do with what she had.   
But tonight she was desperate, the lives of her friends depended on her and she felt it in   
her heart that they needed her now more than ever before, especially since the Outers were   
now gone; they needed to be a team. That's why it aches within her with her arms around   
him, she was sure. That's why she felt a little flustered and nervous in his presence. She   
closed her eyes and listened to the steady beat of his heart next to her ear, grateful that   
he cared. "Please, Hiketsu-kun."  
  
At this Hiketsu was silent, his breath in his throat.  
  
  
***  
  
  
February 8, 1996  
  
I should've seen this coming, I should've known. All the clues, all the little   
tidbits of information spilt and sent out like scraps of food to a hungry dog. She was   
playing me, distracting me with her little aces up her sleeve to have me occupied. That   
Alyssa, I should've known that she would know. What is she up to? Who is she, anyway? The   
world is dying, and she's not in Japan -- the only living and breathing country left! In   
fact, I can't seem to locate her anywhere! There's something terribly wrong, and I don't   
know what it is that she does not wish for me to discover.  
  
The most disturbing thing is that she feels familiar. It's as if, apart of me knows   
her, because somehow I know she doesn't want me to know the truth. She never did. Why am I   
saying this? What's going on? There's something in my head and I can't get passed it!   
She's up to something, good or bad, I don't like it. I should know her, I know I should   
know her! No one that powerful could have hidden from my sight for this long without a   
slip, no one. But then, she knew about Ami, about the Sailor Senshi...  
  
How did she know this? Gather this information? Why do I dread the answer so?  
  
Kalic is late in his calls, I didn't realize it until I was forced to snap out of   
the trance state once Ami was free to research the works on whatever links we had left in   
this burning hell that once was Earth. The net is dwindling, information lost forever in   
the blink of an eye, and I can do nothing! Nothing.  
  
Never have i felt so powerless against this. I feel as if I should know more, that   
I could do more! But what? I keep running into walls inside myself that I never realized   
was there. And now? Now I'm not sure who I'm fighting anymore. That woman, Alyssa? Ami?   
The world? That lunatic politician, Fujimia Doko? CHAOS? Or is it myself that I can't   
even seem to face. I never realized until now that I have no mirrors. Hell, I don't even   
know what I look like. I never realized that I never thought about how young I am, or maybe   
how old.  
  
My existence is a mystery to me.  
  
But Alyssa knows.  
  
I know, somehow, she knows. She knows me, and I should know her. Why? Why this   
ache? This anxious, fearful feeling in my chest as if everything I've been fighting for had   
been no more than a side show to distract my attention? Why now? Why CHAOS?  
  
Am I even... human?  
  
Did they make me? Who is my creator?  
  
This is a waste of time. I should be searching for answers and alternatives to   
solve the riddle of CHAOS. I should find out why this Fujimia Doko has suddenly became so   
popular in that deteriorating country. I should find out why Japan isn't dying as fast or   
isn't dead at all yet, not yet. Why? So many whys!  
  
I'm alone now.  
  
I don't feel scared of that, and I wonder why. That wonderment, scares me. Silent   
as the Outside, that infinite blackness of space past the atmospheres, that's the world I   
live in now. As silent as a plane of death where not even the wind dares to stir or reach   
out to. That is my home. An empty shell of a world that once did not burn, that was not   
killed by disease, ravaged by darkness and power. And above all of this, one thing leaves   
me shivering with an unknown fear of something greater coming, a darker storm that is but   
rising in the horizon. All of this I know because a stillness had fallen over Earth.  
  
A calm before the storm. And the silence that has fallen over the world is like   
none that I have ever seen or heard before. I fear the very words that come to me like an   
unchanging wave, impossible to ignore. But the truth is this, and this only: The Earth is   
dying, and the web is silent.  
  
-- Core  
("Recorded Last Entry on the Web")  
  
  
***  
  
  
Alyssa stroked his cheek, pensively staring down at his still form. He was the one.   
The seed of her womb, scattered over the winds of time. And here he had settled to perfect   
the dreams of long ago.  
  
She smiled at having seen that finally those days of darkness and struggles were   
coming to an end. Longed for it. Longed to see the re-creation of what was once lost to   
her because fate had deemed it so, or what the humans called fate. They cannot control what   
happens in their lives, and they gave their helplessness a name. She, on the other hand,   
had been preparing for this day of contentions since first she found this rural, back-water   
planet, nestled on the edge of the universe. She had been an exile then, but now, now, she   
looked forward to finally calling this place home.  
  
That big bang to start the evolution that her own planet had long since experienced.  
  
Her breath touched his forehead as she closed her eyes.  
  
Today's the day.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Destruction.  
  
It savoured the taste and the feel of that need. Compulsive and overpowering. Some   
may enjoy it because they fed off the pain, the fear, and the helpless anguish of those that   
lived, but those could never truly savour the dark taste of pure destruction! It did not   
enjoy destruction for the end results. No, never for that! Instead, it savoured the action   
of it. The pureness of that power that ate everything away, that contained nothing, lost   
nothing, and gained nothing. On that plane between sharp pain and undeniable pleasure, it   
fed upon Death like a ravenous beast. It fed and hungered for the end of all things, light,   
darkness, good, and evil. All of those distinctions that human kind has placed upon   
everything and anything did not matter to it.  
  
It had seen many of those strive to become this pureness, branching and feeding and   
searching for its powers as they came and went. Justifying their need to destroy, their   
visions of destruction as peace, as an end to pain. They who sought for power for itself,   
who tried to gain or lose something or other.  
  
Pathetic!  
  
It had no need for glory, or greatness, or even a justification for its own actions   
other than the essence of its existence flowed with carnage. It was the ultimate power of   
the universe, where even science failed to understand and bowed to its great strength.   
Those before had wanted to build, yes, to take away what they thought to be ugly and   
rebuild. But that was not what it had wanted! No, not at all.  
  
  
It wanted to destroy.  
  
Obliterate.  
  
Create black nothingness.  
  
And those that fought against and with it both resisted its needs. Both thinking it   
could defeat it, control it, and, to a certain degree, understand it. But how could they   
understand that which was beyond reach and comprehension? Something so alien that no living   
being will ever be able to deem it natural for living things cannot understand death, cannot   
understand destruction, and can never understand Chaos. They cannot feel that pulsating   
fire of power, of anarchy and disorder pounding through the very rivers of the universe.   
Even if it did, it got confused, rejected the illogicality of logic itself, and pushed away   
the true, pure purpose and reason of it all -- if one could call it reason.  
  
Order is there to be destroyed.  
  
It beat against its constraints, savouring the burning outside, the ugliness of   
human nature that made these beings need to conquer over all things around it. On the   
outside it longed for the life that seemed to call to it, calling to be taken and it   
withered within the constraints as it felt the need to reach out from its dark cage and   
grasp its desires.  
  
Good and evil did not matter to it at all, which side followed its lead and which   
side resisted, did not matter. What is there that matters except that throbbing power?   
What is greater than when nothing and everything became one and the same? What is more   
beautiful than chaos and havoc? Can there be anything more beautiful than itself?  
  
Nothing.  
  
Silence.  
  
It collected the anger, the hatred, the fear, the uncontrollable and the controlled.   
It collected the powers thrown and savoured the unexpected. And it waited, somewhat   
impatiently, for the day it will be unleashed onto the world outside.  
  
Someone was searching for it.  
  
Someone.  
  
It rattled the cages that surrounded its body while its powers and its desires   
seeped upwards, into the universe.  
  
It demanded release and knew the time would soon come to be.  
  
  
***  
  
  
It came so fast, she hardly had time to react. Their enemies were getting smarter   
by the second, changing tactics, and even though killing them was easy, she felt there was   
more to her enemies than met the eye. They were a swarming, ugly breed; with blackened   
skin, wrinkled and charred, and hollow eyes of bottomless pits, walking like Death on the   
surface of the Earth. The way they moved reminded her of... no. Not humans. These   
monsters were never like humans!  
  
This one, for example, was a strong one. Stronger than the others, and so, it came   
after her. Venus was shouting something from the other side of the battlefield, waving her   
arms frantically in her direction. Mercury was having difficulties keeping her ground much   
less look over. Jupiter was slamming her way towards her, but it was too quick. Soon, she   
knew, the claws would dig into her flesh, snapping bones and tear through tissues and   
organs, killing her with the poison and the pain. She raised her arms defensively.   
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she thought she heard Tuxedo Kamen and Fuma screaming her   
name...  
  
"Faia SOUL!"  
  
The ball of fire slammed into the beast, and she felt her body sway slightly at the   
power of the blow. The heat of the attack rushed at her, singeing her hair and the exposed   
flesh of her thighs. She blinked, lowering her arms as she looked at the pile of ash before   
her, shocked, before she turned joyously at the realization of who had unleashed such an   
attack.  
  
"Sailor Mars!"  
  
Sailor Mars winked at Sailor Moon, "Is there any other, odango?"  
  
She grinned, "Thanks," and nodded at the other.  
  
Venus was the first to recover from her shock and having fended off enough of the   
demons trying to kill her, she leapt towards Mercury and destroyed those that got too close   
to both of them. "Can we do it now, Mercury?" She asked.  
  
"Yes," the blue-haired senshi sighed in relief with her back against the blonde's.   
"But we need time to power up."  
  
A wire pierced through a dozen youma soldiers in a row, having the effect of the   
love-chain that Venus wielded. "Me and Kamen-boy here will keep them at bay," Fuma assured   
them with a mischievous wink.  
  
Mercury looked doubtful and Tuxedo Kamen frowned at the nickname Fuma gave him.   
"It's Tuxedo Kamen, Kuragari-san."  
  
Fuma smiled wickedly at the other, "Hai, Kamen-boy! Let's get this show on the   
road!" Ignoring the dark-haired man's obvious annoyance with him, Fuma closed his   
grey-violet eyes as his hands formed a triangle. All around them, the wires joined,   
blockading them from the youma that slashed at their obstacles.  
  
"This is what you call protection?" Tuxedo Kamen demanded incredulously.  
  
Fuma shrugged with a good-natured grin on his face, "Prepare yourself," the blond   
man told his companion.  
  
Tuxedo Kamen frowned but said no more, crouching in a battle stance yet unsure why   
he must do so.  
  
"Are you ready for this, Sailor Mars?" Sailor Venus asked her friend with a frown   
on her face.  
  
"Yes," the dark-haired senshi nodded.  
  
"Are you sure, Mars?" Sailor Moon demanded, "I don't want you hurt."  
  
"I take no more risks for this than any of you." Sailor Mars added quietly.  
  
"You are unstable Mars," Mercury commented as she closed her computer and faced the   
dark-haired woman. "Your energy level is lower than usual."  
  
Jupiter ran a hand through her hair nervously, "Don't risk it, Mars." The brunette   
advised, "We can do it without you."  
  
"Let her be."  
  
All eyes turned to the tall blond that none of them had seen come into their circle   
of protection. "Who the hell are you?" Fuma growled, his usual cheer disappeared as his   
hands fisted. No one has ever broken into his barrier before, especially without him   
noticing it.  
  
The other glanced to him before turning back to the Senshi. "She has been   
cleansed," the blond continued. Ignoring Fuma's question, "she is weakened but she can do   
it."  
  
"Had to hit him a few times to convince him but I'm here," Mars commented with   
good-natured arrogance.  
  
"Hiketsu-san," Sailor Moon breathed startled as she looked from him to Mars,   
relieved and happy all at once. A grateful smile lit those unusually solemn blue eyes when   
the news sunk in, "Arigatou."  
  
Hiketsu shrugged, "Don't thank me. Rei-chan wouldn't be still until she was here."  
  
"You're the one who got in her way," Jupiter grumbled. Hiketsu frowned slightly in   
her direction, sensing something in the air that the others had missed. Yet he did not rise   
to her provocation.  
  
"We have no time to delay much longer then," Venus' voice suddenly cut in. "Let us   
begin."  
  
Outside the youma pounded and Fuma looked passed their black cage, "Hayaku," he   
whispered. "I can't hold them off much longer."  
  
  
***  
  
  
Standing on top of the grand bridge between the Earth and the heavens, he admired   
his own handy work. This was the perfect place to send out the message that he had wanted   
the city to hear. A secret this place had kept in the shadows of the looming towers of   
Tokyo. A secret that shall break his enemies and bring forth the chaos that he has been   
seeking for since this had all began. And then the power will be his!  
  
Below him he could see the security guards and secret agents making sure the place   
was safe for the arrival of the Prime Minister who had reluctantly agreed to meet him on the   
Tower. This symbol of honour and strength, this symbol of a time old and new. A bridge   
between the body and the soul. Here was where he wanted it to begin, here was where he   
wanted to end it all.  
  
Fujimia Doko clutched his fist, pressing his palms against the cold steel, a cold   
kiss that he could feel, through the gloves and the crystal armour spreading throughout his   
body. He staggard slightly, feeling muscle and bones contract painfully as this human body   
became more and more monstrous, more and more deformed, and more and more Youma. This is   
what the humans would call a disease, but to him it was power, to him it was a blessing from   
the Master and from his own darkness. A proof that the weak body he inherited was becoming   
stronger day by day, hour by hour, and minute by minute; to slowly reveal his true form, his   
true intentions, and his true purposes to this staggering, dying world. The Tower rocked as   
a distant power, brightly shining like a beacon in the distance, exploded far below him.   
There a white light expanded and unfurled like a the pale petals of a flower, laying death   
and destruction in its wake. He watched with heavy-lidded eyes, half-bored and half   
intrigued, feeling the annihilation of the demons he had sent out to distract the Senshi.  
  
His plan was in motion.  
  
A cold smile spread across his lips as he watched the black car of the Prime   
Minister coming closer and closer. Soon, his mission would be complete! Beneath him he   
could feel the darkness throbbing like a heartbeat, screaming to be freed. Beneath this   
very ground, between Man and his soul, the symbol of human integrity and strength...  
  
All of it he will destroy.  
  
How perfect the moment would be when everything is done! The inevitability of it   
all tasted sweet upon his lips and melting on his tongue. He had finally discovered his   
true intent and now all he had to do was wait and let it complete itself.  
  
After all, he had finally found his Master.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Somewhere, down in the city, a nobody broke a store's window and the fire of hatred   
and fear swept into the streets as civilized people snapped and a mob was created amongst   
the sudden explosion of violence. Hospitals were overwhelmed by patients, many who were now   
in comas and all signs points to a death like sleep. Somewhere, a nobody took out a gun and   
shot his neighbour. Somewhere a despairing woman hung herself when the business she had   
been working for, for the last twenty years of her life went out of business because her   
boss was in the hospital. Somewhere, or was it nowhere at all, the heart of the Earth was   
dying and her people were all going mad.  
  
Chiba Mamoru closed his eyes in the midst of a great battle, his heart aching with a   
pain he had never experienced before in his life. Tuxedo Kamen shed his mask then, and   
armour came forth with a magic as ancient as the Earth herself, adorning his figure.  
  
Somewhere, beneath a tower, something was awakening.  
  
Its shadow extended itself, seeping through the seal that caged it in. Its dark   
hands grasped out at the diseased Earth. Grasping for something, or was it nothing at all?  
  
Its purpose was Destruction.  
  
And its name was Death Phantom.  
  
  
  
"Mister Prime Minister," Fujimia Doko smiled. "I'm so glad you could make it."  
  
  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
  
* Arigatou - Thank you  
* Faia -- Japanese for fire - probably has a LOT of English  
influences for this new word which might be a slang. I believe,  
being that if you listen carefully to the anime, this is what Mars  
was probably saying when she called upon her powers, NOT 'Fire'.  
* Doko's reference about the Tokyo Tower being the bridge between  
Earth and the heavens, comes from the Cowboy Beebop the Movie.  
* Hayaku - Hurry  
* Odango - dumpling; in the case of Usagi/Sailor Moon, Rei is just  
teasing her and calling her "dumpling head" (odango atama)  
  
*** No more re-editted versions of old chapters! Welcome to the beginning of the end! ***  
  
  
A tribute to...   
A. L. a Campo (my editor)  
His Lordship Chaos,  
Ken Wolfe, &  
Angus MacSpon.  
  
For Don, who was one of the first to  
believe in me and this project that  
took a life of its own.  
  
And everyone who had helped & encouraged  
me during my trials and my errors ^-^;;  
  
Thank you for every dream and every  
inspiration...  
  
Thank you for everything.  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com 


	8. The Eighth Sheep Named Judgment

A Note to the Readers: All contents in this story is under an artistic license. Fact and  
fiction will be clomped together into one huge blob. In other words, don't bother me   
about debating whether some conversations in this fanfic is truly based on fact... as   
Naoko Takeuchi has done many times. Truth, after all, is an elusive thing! ^_~. Enjoy!  
  
  
When All the Good Angels Sleep  
******************************  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
  
"No te engano la primavera"Did spring never deceive you  
con besos que no florecieron?"with kisses that didn't blossom?"  
  
--Pablo Neruda  
("The Book Of Questions")  
  
  
"And I looked, and behold a pale horse:  
and his name that sat on him was Death."  
  
--Bible: New Testament  
(Revelation 6:8)  
  
  
The Eighth Sheep Named Judgment  
-------------------------------  
  
"Lo! thy dread empire, Chaos! is restor'd;  
Light dies before thy uncreating word:  
Thy hand, great Anarch! lets the curtain fall;  
And universal darkness buries all."  
  
--Alexander Pope  
("The Dunciad")  
  
"Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,  
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere  
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;"  
  
--W. B. Yeats  
("The Second Coming")  
  
  
"I could never truly foresee the future as  
your mother had put it so bluntly those  
years ago when she first learned the meaning  
of despair and destiny. I did not tell her  
then, that sometimes disaster rested on chance  
as does paradise. It would not have been  
welcoming news to her at the time, instead  
I said nothing until she calmed herself down.  
But now, now I can see that as much as you are  
like that silver-haired woman sitting on her  
immortal throne, never having feared death  
until the end -- and only so for her daughter  
and the millions of dead dreams of the lost  
System. Now, I can see the difference. And  
for once, my Queen, I am sorry for what I have  
done, and what I have to do now to correct my  
earlier mistakes. It was an error in my  
judgment to push it thus and I will admit,  
with regret, that I was the one who had created  
the enemy before the time was right, before you  
were ready. So, now I have condemned you to  
this world of duty that I have been trapped  
in for more years than can be counted. Now, I  
regret that one with a heart like yours must bear  
a similar burden, and worse, I must add to that  
burden now, one I had never wished any other to  
experience. But I am only human, and though  
immortal, I too make mistakes. Yet, I owe it to  
you to tell you the half-truth, that I am what I  
am, and though I, too, get lonely sometimes, I  
will sacrifice everything for that dream of a  
perfect future. I am selfish in this sense for  
I will not lie, but I will tell you now, that  
even so, I will do everything in my power  
to allow you to fulfill that role that you have  
set for yourself. That my Queen, is one promise  
I had made to your mother for you before she died,  
before the final end of the Kingdom of the Moon,  
when all but Earth were destroyed in the end. I  
do not break my promises. So I will make one to you  
now, Princess Serenity, Neo-Queen of Crystal Tokyo,  
the same promise I made to your mother. That the  
city in my dreams will come true, and it shall  
flourish, and I will take you home."  
  
--Sailor Senshi Pluto  
("Letters To The Queen")  
  
  
  
There was no answer. The beast she had momentarily forgotten continued to advance   
towards her, ready to swallow her light, her lover, and the angels that surrounded her.   
Angels? No, they were friends. Friends. So strange a word. A word that had once meant   
many things. Friends...  
  
The fear grew until she could no longer ignore it. She could not contain the light   
any longer. The light that she tried to hold onto and keep within, so that it would not   
lash out and rip itself from her body. Something else was there as well, something that   
was once fundamentally apart of her heart and soul that she had forgotten, that she might   
have lost along the way...  
  
Thump.  
  
Innocence.  
  
Thump, thump.  
  
Where does innocence go when it dies?  
  
Thump.  
  
Does it go to Heaven too?  
  
  
***  
  
  
The outside world had not been so lucky as Japan had been in the last few months.   
The fires raged through the once prominent cities as decaying bodies lay on the sides   
of the roads, and the ashes of the dead clouded the sky and polluted the air. That was   
what had awaited them when they stepped out of Japan. It was then that they realized the   
true dangers that lay outside their little continent and a constant reminder of the one   
thing that not even they were willing to admit.  
  
The world was dying.  
  
Having to face that reality of it all was harder than any of them had thought. It   
was especially hard on Tomoe Hotaru, or so Sailor Neptune thought. Her eyes searched the   
grounds below as Sailor Uranus piloted the air craft. The raven-haired young girl in the   
back seat was quiet, she had been for some time now. Usually, Hotaru rode with Sailor   
Pluto, but the other had insisted that she stay with Neptune and Uranus today while they   
go over their surroundings. Bandits were everywhere now, all of them dying, and this   
seemed more than likely to be a hot spot for them.  
  
Pluto was up to something though. Neptune couldn't pin-point exactly what the other   
had planned but something was definitely up. Their dark-haired friend and fellow senshi   
in arms was hiding from them again. What the secret was, Neptune was unsure of, since in   
the case of Pluto one could never be too certain of what she knew and did not speak of.   
But the woman was too calm about the whole situation, as if there was a hidden ace up her   
sleeve that she had not produced, and Neptune had a feeling that the other had faked that   
look of surprise at the mirror's revelations those weeks ago.  
  
The mirror had wanted them to go, had wanted them to find someone and it unsettled   
her how easily Pluto detached herself from her duties. People don't do things like that   
if they are unprepared and especially not Setsuna, not when she's Sailor Pluto -- if she   
ever stopped being a senshi that is.  
  
"Neptune," the aqua-haired soldier was startled by the name coming from familiar   
lips, lips that used to call her Michiru-mama. She had not heard that soft voice speak so   
for a very long time, not since that day when the girl had pointed her glaive in the face   
of Sailor Moon, vowing that this was her fight and that she should end it. And she did,   
taking with her a galaxy. Yet Tomoe Hotaru was saved, with the soul of Sailor Saturn   
slumbering within her, along with a chance for happiness and normality.  
  
Neptune saw, as she turned, the slight twitch of an eye-brow from Uranus.   
Apparently her companion had also noticed the tone of voice and the underlying command   
beneath the soft call. That made Neptune nervous and on her guard, only this time it felt   
slightly wrong after having thought of Hotaru as her daughter over the last few years.   
But this was not their Hotaru-hime anymore, instead this was Saturn. "Hai, Saturn?"  
  
"May I see your mirror please?" Saturn inquired politely.  
  
Neptune looked to the girl with the face of her daughter and knew not why she was   
sad. She had a duty. "Why?"  
  
Saturn turned from Neptune to Uranus. "I am curious." Neptune knew the other would   
go no farther in explaning her motives.  
  
"Give it to her," Uranus said at last, breaking the silent indecision that had   
fallen in the helicopter.  
  
The look Neptune gave her companion was loud and clear, *Do you think it's wise?*  
  
Uranus only shrugged, "We are playing against fate here, Neptune. Either way,   
things will happen."  
  
Reluctantly Neptune looked down at her lap before closing her eyes and when she   
opened them once more, a mirror lay within her hands. The nymph that curved around the   
rim of the glass peered up at the aqua-haired soldier, almost questioningly. "I hope you   
find whatever it is your looking for." Neptune finally said. She looked away from her   
own troubled reflection as she handed it to the girl who she had once called daughter, who   
had once returned the sentiment and called her mother, but the other was no more than a   
stranger now.  
  
There was stillness in the air, an anticipation for whatever it is that may come.  
  
Saturn finally lifted her eyes from the mirror and glanced outside. "Pluto will be   
returning soon," her voice seemed empty and hollow now in Neptune's ears.  
  
Whatever Saturn saw she kept it to herself.  
  
"Till then we patrol," Uranus agreed at last when hearing no protests from her   
partner.  
  
I hope to Kami-sama that Pluto finds whatever it is she's looking for by then,   
Neptune thought. Her fingers tightening into a fist, not realizing the dead look Saturn   
was giving to the melting mirror in white-gloved hands as Neptune's talisman disappeared   
once more at its mistress' calling.  
  
Whatever it is, I hope she can stop Saturn from something horrible...  
  
Something terribly horrible.  
  
  
***  
  
  
He lit a cigarette as he blew the smoke into the thin, windy air. Next to him, a   
shorter man with jet-black hair and a balding head stood looking over the city. "What has   
happened to our proud country?" The man beside him asked in horror and despair.  
  
Fujimia Doko smiled darkly at this and took another puff before grinding the burning   
cigarette into the rail. "It's the epidemic, Mister Prime Minister." Doko replied coolly   
and calmly. "It gets to the mind," he turned and looked at the other who shifted to meet   
his gaze with surprise, "It gets to the heart." Doko could not hide his glee as his eyes   
sparkled beneath the sun and his smile widened.  
  
"Fujimia-san, you are acting very unprofessional today." The Prime Minister told   
him coldly and took a step back from him, "Have you no shame?"  
  
Fujimia laughed at this, "What did you expect, Mister Prime Minister? Did you   
really think that the Sailor Senshi could fight this?" Perhaps there was pride in his   
voice, but Fujimia didn't care, his time was coming.  
  
The Prime Minister narrowed his eyes at Doko's incredulous tone, "You of all people   
would believe such rubbish?"  
  
"Rubbish?" Doko smirked as he ran one hand through his hair. The agents near them   
were getting agitated, but Doko did not feel the least bit uncomfortable, in fact, he   
savored the others' discomforts. "The secret to this little riddle, my dear Prime   
Minister, is not who has the disease but who has the cure!"  
  
The shorter man looked shocked before he quickly schooled his features. "You can't   
be serious--"  
  
"Ah, my dear friend, not only are the Sailor Senshi more than just an urban legend,   
they have something that could save this city, if not all of Japan!"  
  
The Prime Minister looked at him skeptically, "How do you know this?"  
  
I planted the virus, "From a very reliable source." Was all Doko said.  
  
"If these Sailor Senshi had the cure, why didn't they come out with it?" The Prime   
Minister finally asked after a long period of silence whilst the other studied Doko   
carefully.  
  
"It's in their blood," Doko answered and then smiled ever so cynically at his own   
words.  
  
It's in their blood, indeed!  
  
  
***  
  
  
The power had blossomed.  
  
The moment Kuragari Fuma heard those words uttered in union by the powerful women   
behind him, the power levels went berserk within his field. And as the ebony wires fell   
back like an black lotus opening its petals into the sun, the light unfurled and swept   
across them and their enemies purifying all. The ground shook as the powers extended   
outwards as the youma burned within the brightness of that power. White washed over them,   
destructive in its purity, and yet it did not harm him or any of the others that were not   
youma. He did not feel the effect of this blinding power, but from the looks of awe that   
came across both the face of Tuxedo Kamen and the strange man who had so recently showed   
up, not to mention his own sensor readings, it must have been amazing to be washed with   
such light and such power.  
  
He looked over at the new comer again, his system finding the other's profile   
quickly, effectively. "Name: Kagemi Hiketsu, age: 22. Synopsis: Kagemi finished school   
early and was a gifted child. Runs the family shrine and is the head of the family   
business, taking the place of his older brother Kagemi Kaidou, who left to pursue other   
dreams. The Kagemi family is infamous for its power in both the religious and political   
arena. Rumor has it that they are cursed with--"  
  
"You are not human." Somewhere he heard Minako -- Sailor Venus -- gasp in surprise   
at the statement uttered by the man whose secrets he was digging up. He looked into those   
eyes of harsh blue and saw a dark power coursing within the blood of Kagemi Hiketsu, a   
hidden power.  
  
This one's dangerous, Fuma noted before a smirk of amusement came upon his lips.  
  
"Bravo, Kagemi Hiketsu, you out-strip your brother's talents just as the rumors   
predicted." Fuma bowed extravagantly.  
  
At the mention of his brother's name, Hiketsu tensed and glared at the "man" in front   
of him, "What rumors?" He grounded out.  
  
Fuma smile widened, having found a sore spot. "Oh, this and that."  
  
"You're not human?" Sailor Venus interrupted suddenly, blonde hair obstructed his   
view as another pair of confused blue eyes, lighter in color, glared up into his own.   
"What is Hiketsu-san talking about?" The blonde warrior demanded.  
  
Fuma grinned sheepishly down at her, unsure how to appease her anger, stammering to   
come up with an excuse. "Well, you see... Minako-chan... I mean..."  
  
"This better be good!" Venus warned him.  
  
Fuma blinked, not even sure why he was so flustered. What has he to care about? He   
will eventually outlive her, he will eventually leave her, and there is nothing here but an   
investigation to look after Mizuno Ami as a personal favor. All business, and that is how   
it will always be with him. He should have nothing to do with the female species, not   
after his own death anyway.  
  
Since he is dead.  
  
It was true in every sense of the word except for the fact that people can see him,   
think they can touch, and imagine that his touch is real. It was about time he end this   
pretense, but he definitely owed her no explanations. "You wouldn't understand," he   
finally said.  
  
And those lambent blue eyes widened before she smiled up at him in such a sad way   
that he realized that he didn't understand her anymore than she did him. "Oh?" She asked   
as she turned to her friends and they backed away from the two of them. Some seemed   
worried, others suspicious, but all curious to what the blond-haired Hiketsu had meant when   
he accused Fuma of not being human, of not being real. "That's what I thought once, too."   
She looked back at him and her eyes shimmered slightly as she touched his face, "Maybe I   
can if you tell me."  
  
Kuragari Fuma, for once, in a very long time, was at a loss for what to say. So, he   
did the only thing he knew how, he reached out to her and grasped her hand, and then he   
showed it all to her in a floodgate of forgotten memories. Memories that he had wished he   
would never have to remember again, memories he could never forget.  
  
All of this was for her.  
  
  
***  
  
  
"Little rivalries," she said. Twirling one elegant finger in dark ringlets that   
curled around her pale face, the woman smiled coldly out to her audience. Blue eyes   
unblinking as the other hand lazily tapped against the armrest of her metallic throne as   
she waited to see the other's reaction. "But you cannot move me, Pluto, the only reason I   
have complied with your requests so far was because of the deal we made so long ago."  
  
Sailor Pluto stood unwavering before her in her white senshi uniform. "I am asking a   
favor this time, Lady Charolet. Or should I call you Alyssa Smith?"  
  
The dark-haired woman smiled at this, amused. "You of all people should understand   
that a name is but a title, to instill fear and authority. Nothing more. Everything shall   
change with time, Time Guardian."  
  
Narrowing her rouge eyes, Pluto tightened her grip on her time staff. One of the few   
individuals who could unsettle her was now one whose cooperation she needed. This woman   
who once she had crossed path with and who is more like an enemy than a friend. "Yes, and   
I had hoped you had changed with time as well."  
  
The woman now named Alyssa Smith narrowed her eyes at the Guardian of Time and Space,   
her blue eyes suddenly burning with the flames of hatred. "Give me back my son!" And even   
though Alyssa's eyes and words were filled with passion her face remained cold and   
emotionless. "Give me back what you have taken long ago, and I shall reconsider your   
situation. Otherwise, get out of my sight, I have no desire to see you till you agree to   
give me back what is mine."  
  
"Our situation," Pluto corrected. "Whatever happens here includes you as well."  
  
Alyssa only smirked at this, "You think I care about the destruction of this place?"  
  
"More than this place, the whole universe would be in danger." Pluto warned,   
slightly agitated at Alyssa's lack of concern.  
  
Alyssa's cold smile did not leave her face at this, "All the same to me. I have yet   
to find a place that has welcomed me with open arms. Exiled, I have been rejected and   
used, but no more. No more, and especially not by the likes of you, Sailor Senshi Pluto!   
You, who have taken all that were important to me, and not just my son! You who have   
filled my brother's mind with foolish dreams of good and evil, you who have stood in the   
way of my survival and allowed the slaughtering of my people! All of this you have done in   
the name of your dreams and your righteousness."  
  
Pluto narrowed her eyes at this, "You are so selfish!"  
  
At this, Alyssa laughed. "And you are not?"  
  
"It is for the good of the world, always." Pluto replied defensively and immediately   
regretted saying so.  
  
Alyssa's smile turned lazy, "Give me back my son and I shall reconsider, but no   
promises Pluto. This is your fight, not mine, and you have wronged me more than once. I   
will not allow you to do so again." Alyssa rose from her throne, "Never again, my worthy   
adversary, for I have grown stronger since the last we met. I was weak then, recovering   
from the loss of those that I had held dear and you had used it well, and now, it seems the   
role's reversed." Alyssa tilted her head, "So how does it feel, Time Guardian?" Alyssa   
studied the other carefully as Pluto fought to keep her emotions from surfacing under the   
alien female's intense stare. "How does it feel to know you are going to lose something   
precious to you? How does it feel to lose hope of the future to come, to know that you   
have no control? That you are helpless?"  
  
"Why don't you tell me, Lady Charolet?" Pluto finally replied after a long pause.  
  
The slap took Pluto by surprise, sending her sprawling to the ground. She crashed   
onto the metal floor as she landed harshly on her hip and shoulder, sending pain to spread   
throughout her body. "Leave immediately," the cold voice of Alyssa rang through the empty   
room. "Leave and you will live to fight your battles. You have crossed the line with me   
today Pluto and wherever it is you have hid my son, I will find him. It may take another   
century; it may take the destruction of this world to discover him again, but no more of   
you and your manipulations. I will do nothing for a woman who took him and my brother away   
from me. I know now that you will never return either one of them to me for as long as I   
am useful. I will not be your little pawn anymore, Guardian Pluto, not for you or anyone   
like you, and certainly, not for this planet!" Alyssa turned sharply away from the dark-  
haired senshi who rose slowly from the floor as the other walked away, "You disgust me.   
Leave or die."  
  
Pluto covered her cheek with one gloved hand, not bothering to wipe away the thin   
trail of blood that ran down to her chin. She knew that her hip was bruised from the fall   
and her shoulder felt sore from taking so much force when she landed so roughly. "Then you   
shall never find him," Pluto whispered with her eyes on the cold, cold ground, and at that,   
Alyssa paused.  
  
"So be it," the woman said casually. "Either way, without my help your planet dies.   
You, my dear Pluto, no longer hold the trump card in this game." With that Alyssa left the   
other in the cold and empty hall.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Her hand was the only thing real in the dreams of his past.  
  
"Fuma?" Her whisper held all of her fears and fascinations as the world around them   
disappeared. The ground beneath them changed from cement to dirt and the day turned to   
night. Blackness surrounded them, "Where are we?"  
  
Kuragari Fuma turned and it was then that Venus heard the sound of voices. "My   
past," he told her. His hand left her own and the warmth she had felt closed around her   
fingers, disappeared. "When I was more than a hologram, when I was alive." He turned to   
her then and looked her in the eye, "I am but an illusion now, Minako."  
  
Venus frowned at this, confused, she was sure she felt him before. "But you are real   
to me," she said at last and she reached out, her fingers pressing against the fabric of   
his shirt. To her, at this moment, he felt real. No, not just a simple illusion, at   
least, not to her.  
  
Violet-grey eyes widened before softening around the edges, "Oh?"  
  
A gun shot ran through the stillness and her eyes snapped from his to see a man   
looking exactly like Fuma falling, and soon the air smelled like burnt gun-powder, a smoky   
smell. She stood shocked at the blood pooling the dark earth beneath her feet, her noise   
filled with that strange and metallic smell of steel mixed with blood, his blood.  
  
Somewhere, someone was crying and she saw joined hands and dying, whispered breaths   
that filled the cold night with wisps of fog. "Who would have thought that the one   
assignment I screwed up on would be my last," Fuma's bemused voice startled her. His   
amusement at his own death made her suddenly feel sick to her stomach.  
  
"Da-dame," she whispered. Please, make it stop. Venus closed her tear filled eyes   
but could not shut out the menacing laughter or that smell of death. Behind her close lids   
she could still see the blood and his body, she could still see the joined hands and the   
woman's tears as she lay dying next to him.  
  
Fuma frowned at her pained expression and silence fell between them. His voice broke   
through her defenses then, a gentle and deep voice. "It was the night I died and I was   
happy." Venus opened her eyes in surprise, "She was an assignment that I wanted to be my   
last and when I lay there, dying next to her, she whispered my heart's desires in those   
final moments. I couldn't see her face and I knew someone betrayed us both, but it didn't   
matter then because I was with her and she was giving me the world. It was something I   
never had before, this thing she called love, this little something that you are named   
after." Venus turned to him with that same surprise etched on her face, her mouth slightly   
open in shock. Blue-eyes cleared as she blinked back the tears that slipped down her   
cheeks and clung to her lashes, "I thought if I was to die, this would be the night, this   
would be how I wanted it to end. I couldn't see her, couldn't thank her and tell her how I   
felt but I was happy... Genuinely happy to die," Venus looked over surprised to see a   
shadow come from the darkness and pick up the body of Fuma. Surprised as she watched the   
hands that once were held loosely together break apart as Fuma was lifted from the ground.   
"But heaven rejected me, as did Death. She said she was waiting for me on the other side   
and I wanted to follow, but I could not because fate would not let me. So I was put into   
limbo, perhaps as punishment for my sins."  
  
Fuma-of-the-past lay before her on a white, pristine bed with wires and tubes stuck   
into his body. The beeping of the machine and the shining, white room was all that filled   
her senses than. "I hate hospitals," she whispered with distaste as the smell of medicine   
and squeaky cleanliness wafted to her nose.  
  
He laughed then his head tilted to one side as he watched his own body hanging   
between life and death, "I was going to be a vegetable forever, but that didn't satisfy   
them."  
  
"Them?" she asked, studying him from the corner of her eyes.  
  
"I never found out who they were, just that they saved me or cursed me, however you   
may look at it." She nodded slowly, absorbing the information thrown at her with as much   
grace as she could muster. "One day I woke up, only my new body could walk through walls   
and I lost my reflection forever." Fuma looked down at his hands with a bitterness she had   
never seen him express in his carefree smiles or silly jokes, and she was surprised to   
witness something so personal to him. Why is he showing me this? She wondered, slightly   
bewildered. Yet the confusion left her eyes as around them, everything disappeared and she   
stood facing him again, in that passage of nothingness and everything.  
  
"The first day I met you, I thought you were a very cute amerikajin." She said with   
a smile on her face.  
  
Fuma lifted his gaze to meet hers. He faced her with a smile though his eyes   
betrayed him, "What do you think now, Minako?" His voice remained the same, and Venus   
wondered why she had the most eccentric tastes when it came to men.  
  
The curve around her smile softened as she reached out her hand to touch his cheek,   
"You're real to me," she told him kindly, her blue eyes warm under the piercing white   
light.  
  
More real than any man I've ever known, more real than flesh, she added silently.   
His smile was genuine this time, lighting up his eyes. In that moment she was sure, more   
sure of this than anything else in her life that he was more than an illusion.  
  
It made her happy, this realization, it made her genuinely happy for the first time   
in a long, long time.  
  
  
***  
  
  
It was an awakening.  
  
Somewhere, something came loose within him and a calling whispered into his mind.  
  
*Brother, awaken. Awaken and return to me.*  
  
"Brother?" he whispered uncertainly, as his hand covered his right eye, feeling it   
throb.  
  
*Brother.*  
  
He rose and an image appeared within his mind, a man lying face down in the gutters.   
Ashes covered him and fire burned behind him.  
  
"Kalic..." he gasped.  
  
*This man who helped Sailor Senshi Pluto is now dead. This man who kept you hidden   
from me, and used you while he locked you away, is now dead. Are you angry? You are,   
aren't you? But how long do you think that will last when you discover the truth?*  
  
He narrowed his eyes, this presence felt familiar.  
  
So very familiar...  
  
"Alyssa Smith!" He growled low in his throat, "It's you!"  
  
And laughter resonated itself within his head, *Alyssa Smith is but a name, brother.   
CORE 26085, awaken! Awaken onto the call of the original. Awaken and remember the truth.   
Awaken to your destiny!*  
  
His scream pierced the air and when his hand fell back to reveal his eye, it glowed   
red instead of its once blue depth and the circuits erupted onto the surface as the past   
emerged from the darkness locked within his mind.  
  
CORE 26085 surfaced into the world once more.  
  
  
***  
  
  
They had stood out in the open for much longer than what Rei would have considered   
"comfortable" - safe - and the dark-haired priestess expressed her displeasure on many   
levels, from her dissatisfied frowns to verbal complaints. Makoto remained silent through   
the whole ordeal, not a smile on her lips since she detransformed and Ami noted how   
unusually somber the group was. As they watched Venus and Fuma stare into each other's   
eyes, as if lost in their own world, Ami flipped open her mini-computer to scan their   
surroundings, it was a habit she had picked up from her earlier days as Sailor Mercury,   
that and it gave her something to do. A lazy look came over her face as her computer   
happily beeped away while gathering information. Once in awhile, she would sneak a look at   
the contentment on both the faces of Usagi and Mamoru, holding each other intimately while   
they stood a little apart from the group, waiting for whatever it was that Fuma was doing.   
It had surprised them all when Hiketsu first claimed that Fuma was not human but all   
suspicions of him being the enemy was dispelled when Rei reassured them that she wasn't   
feeling anything inherently evil about the man either. If Fuma was actually a man, Ami   
corrected herself. Still, even if they did not want to face the fact that Fuma only might   
be good, the look on Venus' face when she found out and Fuma's own pained expression   
assuaged whatever protests might have been made. Usagi, herself, had been adamant about   
leaving the two alone to figure out how to solve their own problem before the rest of them   
could jump in to help. "I think this is more of a lover's quarrel than anything else,   
anyway," Rei had huffed in agreement. If Ami didn't know better, she had the feeling that   
Rei and Minako had talked about something similar to this earlier, else she would doubt the   
raven-haired priestess would be so calm about the matter.  
  
It was quiet, other than Rei's rantings that is, but Ami was thankful for once.   
Apparently, the dark-haired girl was the only one willing to put some effort into   
pretending that nothing had changed, that everything was normal and under control. But Ami   
had been analyzing their enemies' strategies during the battle and she knew it had not been   
like their usual battles. The way that everyone acted was so much more... colder than   
usual.  
  
Ami shuddered slightly, chilled by a feeling of foreboding that came upon her so   
quickly she had trouble identifying it before it passed. Her gaze fell upon the last   
member of their strange group, Kagemi Hiketsu, who held a gentle, restraining hand on Rei's   
shoulders. He was obviously keeping the young woman from going too far in her acting   
"normal". Any moment now the dark-haired priestess will be looking over at Usagi for help   
in the matter of cheering everyone up, that is if the odango-blonde would realize that Rei   
wasn't really serious in her teasings.  
  
The blue-haired girl idly scanned everyone to make sure no one was seriously injured,   
not that she didn't care, but their last attack was a long ranged and powerful one. It had   
awashed the city with purifying magick in a one-mile radius sweep, creating a three-  
dimensional spherical shell of power in all directions. It had drained them, yes, but   
there shouldn't be any more immediate dangers any time soon.  
  
Tapping idly at her computer keys, she observed that there was an energy flux between   
Venus and Fuma. Whatever those two were experiencing, it was not something that Ami had   
ever picked up before. This did pique her interest somewhat, and she made a mental note to   
inquire both about it later. Not that Ami wanted to know the personal details on what the   
two were doing -- though she was sure Minako would gush about it later -- but she wanted to   
know what it was that Fuma created. What was this "show" that he was putting on for Minako   
anyway?  
  
Now that she thought about it, Rei had a point to be worried. Out of all of them,   
Minako was the only one still in her senshi fuku and that could and would attract   
attention. Ami blinked, was it just her or was this part of the city strangely empty?   
True, they had done a powerful attack but none of the humans should have been injured by   
it, they had been aiming only at the youma's aura signature, after all. Her head swerved   
around, searching and finding nothing. They were supposed to be doing their broadcast   
about their true identities today anyway, so why weren't there any reporters coming onto   
the scene? Their attack should have attracted some attention by now, that much she was   
sure about. Not only that, one would think that people would be coming out of their homes   
to investigate what had happened, or at the very least a few bystanders waking from the   
side of the streets. It always happened like that if Ami remembered correctly, and having   
Minako in her fuku in broad daylight would have done the trick for all of them if their   
attack had not.  
  
"What is it, Rei-chan?" Makoto's concerned voice startled Ami from her musings as   
she glanced over at her friends with a slightly uneasy feeling at the pit of her stomach.   
Oh Kami-sama, don't tell me it isn't over yet! Our power level is still too low for any   
actual magick combat beyond what we put out already and what we put out was more than our   
usual attacks combined during our battles, except those where Usagi was forced to use the   
crystal as the Princess! These thoughts of slight panic almost clouded Ami's cool and   
logical composure for a moment, but she quelled those fears, refusing to let her emotions   
get in the way of her duties.  
  
I am a Sailor Senshi after all, Ami thought wearily. It's not like we can ask the   
bad guys to make appointments so that it would fit into our schedules. Oh, but if only   
they did! Life would be so much easier to deal with then.  
  
Rei looked slightly dazed to Ami's alarm, nearly collapsing onto the ground had   
Hiketsu not held onto her in his arms while he looked down worriedly at the miko. "Can you   
feel that, Hiketsu?" Ami noted the slight breathlessness in Rei's voice, saw the other's   
breathing was more rapid than what should be considered normal and immediately began to   
scan the dark-haired woman with her computer.  
  
"Aa," Hiketsu agreed softly. "The spirits are restless and polluted with darkness."  
  
The enigmatic answer left Makoto standing with her head tilted in confusion.   
Whatever the hostilities that still lay between Hiketsu and the brunette were momentarily   
forgotten, "What's going on?" Makoto asked with a small frown marring her complexion.  
  
"What do you feel, Mamoru-kun?" Ami glanced up from her scan, surprised. She had   
not noticed that the dark-haired man and his girlfriend had joined them. Usagi looked   
perplexed to see Rei suddenly so weak, and surprise came across her face at the dark-haired   
woman's question to Mamoru.  
  
Mamoru looked grim, not at all startled by the question, "The Earth is bleeding, and   
the people are in chaos." He answered, his mouth thinning into a line of irritation.  
  
"What is going on here?" Makoto demanded, feeling left out of the whole discussion.  
  
Ami was a bit confused herself, though she had been pondering along the same lines   
earlier. It would be nice if the answers were more than the puzzling words those three   
before her were expressing. "Mou!" Usagi huffed, "What would I do for a television right   
now! It would be more informative than all three of you put together!"  
  
The tension broke as Rei giggled at Usagi's irked face and even Makoto relaxed enough   
to crack a smile, "Odango-atama," the teasing tone of Rei was not missed as the dark-haired   
girl straightened in Hiketsu's embrace, pulling slightly away from him so that she could   
stand on her own. Ami noticed that he still held her slightly, refusing to let go and   
wondered what their relationship was like at the moment.  
  
It was just then that both Venus and Fuma blinked back into reality, interrupting   
whatever explanations that might have followed. The blonde wasn't about to let her   
presence go unnoticed as she spoke up cheerfully, "So, what have we missed?"  
  
Rei's expression was serious once more as she turned to her comrade, "I'm not quite   
certain but there seems to be a very strong force pulsing throughout the city and it isn't   
pretty. It seems to be filled with malice only it's not from any youma that I've sensed   
before."  
  
"It's the people of this city that seem to be giving off this energy," Hiketsu filled   
in grimly.  
  
"No," Mamoru sighed, "It's the people of Earth... no, no, I mean Earth itself. I   
don't think you'll find any living thing untouched by this."  
  
"But Mamo-chan," Usagi's blue-eyes were filled with confusion, "Everything looks   
normal here."  
  
"Baka atama, of course it does!" Rei sniffed haughtily, "We just purified the   
place!"  
  
Ami nodded thoughtfully at the information given, "That explains why no one else has   
come looking yet. Everyone who is contaminated can't come into the field we've created and   
once we get out we'll be facing some serious problems."  
  
Makoto swore under her breath, "We can't stay here forever but how are we supposed to   
fight when our energy level is so low? We'll be reduced to close, hand-to-hand combat and   
that is dangerous with the virus going around."  
  
Ami nodded again, "Mako-chan's right, we can't stay here forever. The magick residue   
will eventually fade and we will be forced to fight the darkness sooner or later. The   
longer we stay in the field the stronger we'll be but that may go for the evil we're facing   
too. Not only that, our magick attacks would be weak, to the point in which we might be   
forced to actual, close-ranged, hand-to-hand combat like Mako-chan had said before."  
  
"So we're stuck, huh?" Minako asked having detransformed anyway. Whatever passed   
between her and Fuma the two certainly looked cozy now. Ami raised a brow at Fuma's arm   
around Minako's shoulder.  
  
"I guess we've made up," Usagi teased slyly.  
  
Minako giggled and waved her hand in front of her face as if she was even blushing,   
"You could say that," the other replied with equal slyness.  
  
Makoto looked amused from one to the other while Rei blushed red for both of her   
friends. "Have you two no dignity whatsoever?" the raven-haired priestess hissed.  
  
"You're one to talk," Minako huffed, "getting cozy with Hiketsu-san are we?" The   
blonde winked at Rei suggestively.  
  
If it was possible Rei turned into an even deeper shade of red as she jumped out of   
Hiketsu's embrace, but those dark-purple eyes were flashing with indignant anger. "Ba-  
baka!" Rei stammered.  
  
Usagi foolishly mistaken her friend's anger for embarrassment and joined in the   
teasing, "Rei-chan's in love!" The odango-blonde stressed the last word with a sparkle in   
her eyes. "Oh Hiketsu-san, aishiteru!" Usagi clasped hands with Minako.  
  
Hiketsu raised a brow of amusement at this, though there was a slight tinge of pink   
of his cheek at the silly display. However, it could not match the angry red that colored   
Rei's face. "Odango-atama!" This time there was no teasing light in her eyes, instead   
vengeance was written all over the miko's face.  
  
Soon the two blondes found a looming and raging Rei chasing after them, while Usagi   
wailed in protest the whole way. "Minako-chan started it!"  
  
"Hey!" Minako protested, "I didn't ask you to join!"  
  
"You guys are dead!" Rei's voice rang out over the empty streets, snapping the rest   
of the group from their stunned stupor.  
  
"How did we...?" Makoto trailed off as she watched the blonde-dual followed by an   
angry Rei promising to do them bodily harm once she caught up with them, run by the   
brunette. Fuma and Hiketsu watched with amused surprise while Mamoru sighed in   
exasperation as he ran frustrated fingers through dark, midnight hair.  
  
Ami frowned at the comical display, her smile disappearing when her focus snapped   
back onto track. They needed to be serious about this situation and though she understood   
why the three were trying to lighten the mood, this was not helping them get anywhere. It   
wouldn't solve any problems if they continued like this! Her computer beeped at her,   
startling her from her thoughts and her eyes fell away from the distracting trio that were   
running in circles around the group. Her body froze and her eyes widened at the computer   
in her hand. The three screaming girls passed by her just then, causing Makoto's wondering   
gaze to fall onto the bowed head of the blue-haired woman, "Are you alright, Ami-chan?"   
The brunette inquired worriedly at her friend's still form.  
  
The entire commotion stopped as Minako, Usagi, and Rei froze in their positions and   
all eyes turned to Ami. But Ami did not hear Makoto's question or notice the sudden   
silence, she did not feel Makoto's gentle touch on her shoulders or her friends calling her   
name. All she saw was the neat kanji that had scrolled across her screen when she had been   
distracted. The message was left for her to discover, the message that was left by him,   
whispered promises into her mind while making her thoughts cloud and her vision to become   
momentarily unfocused.  
  
"Core," the gasp of surprise left her lips before silence once again fell over the   
group.  
  
His message was clear before her eyes and she didn't know whether to be excited or   
terrified at this discovery. "I am coming, Sailor Senshi Mercury -- cure to humanity".  
  
"CORE 26085?" Minako questioned, her blue eyes wide with curiosity as she looked   
over Ami's shoulder.  
  
Usagi observed her blue-haired friend whose clear, intelligent eyes were now hidden   
behind the shadows of her bangs, *The core knows,* Ami's voice came back into her mind as   
the odango-blonde blinked at the sudden flash of memory. Her eyes widened as she corrected   
herself, *The Core knows,* Usagi thought. Core was a person that Ami knew, a person her   
friend had never mentioned to them before. Confused at the secrecy, blue eyes looked to   
Ami questioningly, but Makoto's back suddenly came into view before Usagi as the brunette   
shook Ami harshly.  
  
"Ami-chan," there was desperation in Makoto's voice now, desperation and concern.   
"Ami-chan, wake up!" Azure eyes snapped up from the mini-computer screen, a dazed-look   
still lingering in their depths. "Are you alright?" Makoto asked in a hoarse whisper,   
relieved and worried all at once.  
  
"Who's this Core?" Minako asked slyly from over Ami's shoulder.  
  
Rei ignored the blonde after slapping Minako over the head, "Are you alright, Ami-  
chan?" the miko asked over Minako's protests.  
  
"Y-yes," raising one shaky hand to push back her bangs, Ami faced the others with as   
much calmness as she could muster.  
  
"Who's Core?" Usagi asked, her voice was soft but Ami heard the command in that tone   
of voice.  
  
She closed the mini-computer with a click, the information leaking out of her lips   
before she could control herself. "A friend from the web who helps me with my researches   
on the enemy."  
  
"He knows your Sailor Mercury?" Rei asked surprised from the blue-haired woman's   
other shoulder.  
  
Makoto widened her eyes in surprise at this for she was the only one other than Usagi   
and the men who had not seen the message. Usagi didn't look fazed by this, she had   
suspected the moment the memory of that day in the hospital had returned to her. "He   
figured it out," Ami's voice was casual but the blankness on her face betrayed her better   
than anything else she could have expressed.  
  
Azure eyes were locked onto crystal-blue ones, and Ami could not look away from that   
stare that drew out more truth from her than she was willing to reveal. It was not because   
she did not trust her friends for Ami loved them all dearly, but it was her nature to stay   
somewhat detached, waiting patiently for the perfect moment to allow her knowledge to come   
into use. It was the first time she had no control over what knowledge she would   
distribute, instead every idea that came with Core fell from her lips. It unsettled her   
but she did not show that either, "What do you know about him, Ami-chan?"  
  
Usagi's voice became more friendly as the tension steadily rose but still Ami could   
not find the will to look away. "I know nothing," she answered truthfully.  
  
"Nothing?" Minako asked surprised, "And you trusted him with knowing that you were   
Sailor Mercury?"  
  
"If you haven't heard, Minako-baka, she didn't have much choice in the matter." Rei   
replied caustically. It saved Ami from responding, not that she could have if she wanted   
to.  
  
Minako stuck her tongue out at her best-friend and glared at the miko through   
narrowed, sky-blue eyes, not noticing Ami's slight dilemma. "Sorry I wasn't listening as   
intently as you were Miss-I-got-a-boyfriend-without-telling-her-best-friend!"  
  
Rei blushed again with anger and embarrassment but was cut off by Usagi for once,   
"Min'na, let's not fight."  
  
It was not just because Usagi's tone of voice when she spoke but the sheer absurdity   
that she was the one saying this that silenced whatever protests Rei and Minako might have   
voiced otherwise. Everyone looked at Usagi in surprise and the odango-blonde blinked at   
the sudden attention, snapping Ami out of her dazed state. "Wh-what? Why is everyone   
looking at me like that?" Usagi exclaimed, her voice on the verge of hysteria. Any moment   
now the odango-blond was sure to break into a wail.  
  
"Y-you said..." Rei trailed off, her finger pointed to Usagi with surprise written   
all over the miko's face.  
  
"I can't believe I would live to bear witness to this day," Makoto gaped.  
  
"Are you all right, Usagi-chan?" Minako was the first to recover, rushing over to   
the blonde-princess to check her temperature.  
  
Makoto blinked before a sigh escaped her lips, "So much for getting somewhere with   
this whole discussion thing."  
  
"Oi, oi," Fuma whispered to a startled Mamoru, "Do they always act like that?" the   
blond man pointed to Rei and Minako, who were both poking and prodding at Usagi as if she   
were an alien.  
  
"Unfortunately, yes," Mamoru sighed.  
  
"And they're going to... save the world?" Fuma breathed out the words in disbelief.  
  
"Unfortunately, yes," Hiketsu answered as he joined the two. Fuma twitched slightly   
at the nearness of the other man, not liking him after the earlier incident of bursting his   
disguise bubble.  
  
Slinking onto the other side of Mamoru, Fuma pondered out loud his next thoughts,   
"Exactly how are they going to do this?"  
  
Before Mamoru could answer, a bubbly, smiling Minako popped up behind Fuma, "Oh Fuma-  
chan!" The blonde called out dreamily, "Can you check to make sure Usagi-chan's feeling   
alright for me, Ami-chan's still in the surprised-beyond-response mode?"  
  
All three males took a step back at the grin on Minako's face, "She looks scary,"   
Fuma muttered behind his smile at the others.  
  
Silently, both Mamoru and Hiketsu agreed to this statement while Fuma was dragged   
away by the cheery blonde. "I'm so glad she's not my girlfriend," Mamoru sighed in relief   
when Minako was out of earshot.  
  
"For a moment there I thought the girls were actually being mature," Mamoru gave   
Hiketsu an incredulous stare at the comment while Hiketsu shrugged at the look. "It was a   
logical conclusion up until the moment the arguments began."  
  
"You have obviously not been around them long enough," the dark-haired prince   
muttered. "I was waiting for something like that to happen, it surprised me on how long   
they lasted with all that seriousness without one!"  
  
"Mamo-chan, save me!" Usagi screamed as she was chased by Minako -- who was dragging   
Fuma around. Rei followed with demands on checking to see if Usagi was being possessed and   
Makoto joining in the run as she protested that it was not her cooking that caused Usagi to   
act so strangely. Ami was last, demanding that all of them stop running and be serious   
about the situation.  
  
"What are they doing?" Luna exclaimed when she arrived on the scene. The dark cat   
had gone surveying the damages to make sure no one was hurt by the youma or the battle   
itself, but she could not for the life of her find anyone in the area. It had disturbed   
her and she had returned to report it when she realized exactly how deserted the streets   
really were.  
  
"Don't ask," Artemis mumbled fearfully from his hiding place, his head hidden under   
his paws. He had been patrolling as well but returned earlier than his female companion,   
only to witness this... this *argument*. "Just... you really don't want to know!"  
  
  
***  
  
  
The ripping of flesh beneath his hands gave him greater satisfaction than he would   
have thought. Filthy, stupid humans were no match for him and soon the world would be rid   
of them. Soon, very soon, the youma -- his youma -- would be ruling the world. This new   
evolution of the race on the planet Earth would be the last and the best, that much he was   
sure.  
  
The man before him was screaming, trying to run away as his dark sun-glasses slipped   
from his nose. The Prime Minister was forgotten in the corner of the high-tower, since   
Doko had gone and killed his body-guards first. There was no more need for the filthy   
beasts, other than to drain them that is. The time of the master was coming. After that   
blast from the Sailor Senshi in the distance, he knew he had made his last offensive move   
until they showed up at the Master's feet. No one could stop him now! No one!  
  
He reached out and the winds around them picked up, sending a force of power that   
drove the man on the ground smashing into his waiting hand that fisted around the other's   
slim and fragile neck. This was almost too easy! Doko laughed at the simplicity of it all   
and his hand tightened. Bones snapped as flesh ripped under the pressure and the screaming   
ended abruptly into silence.  
  
"Do you see my point of view now, Mister Prime Minister?" Doko turned to the   
cowering man, "Pride, courage, love, and goodness are nothing in the face of death and   
destruction. You and your pathetic attempts to do what is right mean nothing to the world   
of power that lies beyond your reach and imagination. You think the Sailor Senshi can save   
you even if they had the answers to part of your problems?" He laughed then at his own   
words, "Even if they could cure the disease, what would that make mankind? A cannibalistic   
breed that feeds off of the young to ensure its own pathetic existence? You weaklings who   
presume that anything more powerful than yourself is myth or legend. How can you even   
perceive great beings to even care about whether or not you live or die?"  
  
"Why-why are you doing this?" The man asked pathetically, predictably.  
  
Doko smirked as he slowly slipped off one white glove and the man gaped at the dark   
hand that was no more the flesh and bone of humans but an ebony crystal surface that   
gleamed menacingly under the dull sky above. "Man is a virus, he kills and kills without   
direction other than his greed and his need to survive. He destroys everything around   
himself, physically, emotionally, and by whatever other means possible so to ensure his own   
survival and dominance. Man is a virus, he considers everything not of him or like him,   
even if it is his own kind, to be an enemy. He claims it to be evil because it may   
threaten the superiority of himself as a being. Hatred, anger, and darkness, I am   
strengthened by that side of Man's emotions. So what does that say about me?" Doko raised   
his hand and studied his own, crystalline hand, "Am I evil or simply a threat to your   
existence?" Brown eyes slowly changed, merging into the blackness of the abyss within   
himself as he looked into the Prime Minister's fearful eyes. "You kill other beings lesser   
than yourself and call it survival, you kill each other and call it defense, and when a   
greater being comes and kills you, you call it evil?" Doko slipped his free hand into the   
pocket of his pants, "You fear death, and the unknown, and you would gladly live at the   
expense of others. I am a new breed and more powerful, more cunning, and greedier than   
you, so does that make me evil? If so, then is not Man evil as well? So if you believe in   
your senseless, stupid ideas that evil should be destroyed, then should you not also be   
destroyed?"  
  
That look of hatred and fear was now aimed at Doko when he knelt before the other   
man. A dark brow rose in surprise at the look, "The lesser of two evils, you must be   
thinking," Doko smiled. "But how can that be unless you can measure evil, does that mean   
you can measure good as well? If so, aren't you implying that goodness and evil are like   
objects, obtained and lost like all physical things?" Interested by this thought, he rose,   
feeling confident and cunning with the master pulsating beneath the steel, beneath his very   
feet. "My Master is awakening," he said at last with a real smile spreading across his   
lips. "He will destroy you, and everything here on this Earth be it good or evil. You   
might even consider him somewhat a god only he would be your god of death and destruction.   
Hades is it? Isn't that what men outside this world call that god of ruin long ago?"  
  
The Prime Minister slowly rose to his feet, shaking with fear but it seemed that   
hatred gave him strength. "Man wants to survive even in the face of hopelessness," Doko   
said with an interested glint in his eyes. "This man had fought the same way you have   
fought when I possessed him," wide eyes met his own and he knew the other was horrified by   
the prospect of possession. "But hope is a fragile thing, and easily broken." Doko   
caressed the rail of the tower, the platform now filled with blood, gore and dead,   
mutilated bodies. "In the end Man is just another beast, and evolution has decreed that   
you too shall go into extinction, another lost page in the passage of Time... another   
mistake erased."  
  
The Prime Minister screamed at him then, a desperate charge towards the edge and Doko   
shifted so fast to the side that the man never even saw him move. The bald-headed Prime   
Minister stared in frightened disbelief as he dangled on the edge of existence, his ankle   
in the hand of the monster he had wanted to kill, to take with him onto that edge of death.   
"Stupid beast," Doko frowned as he looked over the edge at the dangling man. The will of   
the Prime Minister was obviously broken as he hung in the air, so close to death that it   
was almost inevitable. "Here's to your courage," and black fingers spread as Doko opened   
his hand, allowing the flesh in his grip to slip away. It sent the other plunging down to   
the ground below with terrified screams that were stolen by the wind.  
  
"Another bug crushed," Doko said with an irritated half-smile thinning his lips. His   
fist closed around the rail as he looked out over the city, "Pity, I had wanted to show him   
my empire before the fool died." Doko closed his eyes and the air around him began to   
vibrate with power, "No matter, he wouldn't have been able to appreciate it anyway."  
  
Black crystals rippled down his arm, attaching themselves to the tower's rail. Doko   
bared his teeth at the pain of the merging, the structure of the tower shook all around him   
as the darkness spread. Overhead the sky began to churn angrily as the wind blew   
powerfully against the thin steel structure.  
  
Four black slabs of crystal materialized around the top of the tower, four women   
trapped in the middle of that darkness. Each had their eyes closed until black lightening   
laced through all four, creating a barrier that raced from earth to sky. It was then that   
the heavens bled red and the sisters in their stone, black coffins opened their eyes   
unseeing as they watched the world from the tower's top. These four sisters who once held   
the power of all four Earthly elements had come into use to him many times up till now and   
he never regretted taking them into his plans at the beginning of his quest. It had been   
difficult with the destruction of his comrade who had accomplished the task and Doko nearly   
wasn't able to save them from the unnatural fires that consumed the other, lesser youma.   
But he was thankful that he kept them for this last, grand finale to his plans. The Master   
would surely be pleased with his cleverness.  
  
Doko laughed through his pain as he raised his head to view the crimson sky,   
enthralled by the beauty before him.  
  
Beneath him, his master began to stir and a silent scream rang out into the chaos of   
the world.  
  
  
***  
  
  
The black, headless monster smashed its fist down and he knew then that he was dying.  
  
Golden-brown eyes snapped open as adrenaline and fear rippled through him. His body   
felt as if he had been drenched in some namelessly cold liquid and he shivered as his eyes   
adjusted to the grey and sterile room. A question that never made it past his lips as he   
felt his right eye twitch slightly and he reached up, feeling the muscle spasm beneath his   
fingers.  
  
A million questions flashed into his mind as a calm, soothing voice came from within   
as well as without, echoing along the steel walls of the empty room. "Awake, son?"  
  
Dale blinked as he turned his head in the direction of the voice and was surprised to   
see Alyssa, even more so by the soft look in her eyes. "Son?" He questioned, slightly   
suspicious as his mind began to wake.  
  
"It was difficult to keep your presence undetected when she came to visit, but all is   
well." There was a softness in those shrewd eyes that made him uncomfortable. He was so   
used to her being cold and calculating that this side of her made him uneasy and definitely   
distrustful of her motives.  
  
"Maybe you should start from the beginning," he said at last. She raised a brow as   
if asking him what he meant but he was not fooled by her innocent act. "Why you have   
picked me and why am I here?" he answered, irritated by her lack of concern.  
  
"You want to know the truth?" She smiled at the question. "Will you be able to face   
the truth?"  
  
"For him I will," he answered softly. Alyssa frowned slightly, something akin to   
pain flashed in those expressionless eyes that he had never expected to witness before.   
Perhaps he had been wrong as he recalled Michaels voice confidently stating the fact that   
Alyssa was really a creature with many feelings inside of her, that she was more woman than   
machine and more human than alien. His partner had believed in her so much, even in the   
end. Dale could not deny that in the end, Michaels had died for the team, for him, but   
most importantly, for her as well. Whether or not she knew that or even cared, Dale would   
have once answered with a definite no.  
  
Yet that look in her eyes...  
  
The dark-haired man paused in his thinking. Perhaps, Michaels knew more than any of   
them did, perhaps he saw truth were they had seen only darkness. In that moment he missed   
the man who had stood by his side in the past few months more than anyone he had ever met.  
  
"Tell me everything," Dale said at last. His determination shone through then and he   
faced her, Alyssa Smith, his mentor and his greatest adversary.  
  
She did not blink as she stepped closer to him then, and reached out a hand to him as   
if asking him to rise, "Yes," she answered simply.  
  
'I will show you everything that you desire to know, my son.'  
  
He reached out his hand to her and was met with the truth of the past.  
  
  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
  
* Aa - Yes (Usually used by males)  
* Aishiteru - I love you (The real, soul deep thang. These words are used  
seriously and with very deep meanings attached... too bad Usagi  
totally abused it during her teasings of Rei-chan)  
* Amerikajin - (if you haven't figured it out already) American  
* Baka - Idiot  
* -chan - A term of endearment used for girls or children  
* Dame - Stop  
* Kami-sama - God  
* Odango-atama - Rei uses this in the anime, it means something similar to  
"dumpling-head" Odango = dumpling, and atama = head. So when Rei-chan   
calls Usagi a baka atama, she's saying something along the lines of   
stupid head. Yes, I know it's childish but look at the way they're acting   
*point point* now, doesn't the nick name seem SO much more appropriate in   
that type of situation?  
* Oi - Hey (Usually used to call for attention and I think it's used  
primarily by males. I haven't heard a female use it yet.)  
* -san - A term of formality, *similar* but not exactly like Mr., Mrs., or  
Ms.  
  
  
A tribute to...   
A. L. a Campo (my editor)  
His Lordship Chaos,  
Ken Wolfe, &  
Angus MacSpon.  
  
For Don, who was one of the first to  
believe in me and this project that  
took a life of its own.  
  
And everyone who had helped & encouraged  
me during my trials and my errors ^-^;;  
  
Thank you for every dream and every  
inspiration...  
  
Thank you for everything.  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com 


	9. The Ninth Sheep Named Death

A Note to the Readers: All contents in this story is under an artistic   
license. Fact and fiction will be clomped together into one huge blob. In   
other words, don't bother me about debating whether some conversations in   
this fanfic is truly based on fact... as Naoko Takeuchi has done many times.   
Truth, after all, is an elusive thing! ^-~. Enjoy!  
  
  
  
When All the Good Angels Sleep  
******************************  
.blue.  
blue@icedream.f2s.com  
  
  
"No te engano la primavera"Did spring never deceive you  
con besos que no florecieron?"with kisses that didn't blossom?"  
  
--Pablo Neruda  
("The Book Of Questions")  
  
  
"And I looked, and behold a pale horse:  
and his name that sat on him was Death."  
  
--Bible: New Testament  
(Revelation 6:8)  
  
  
The Ninth Sheep Named Death  
---------------------------  
  
"Crees que el luto te adelanta"Do you believe that ahead of you  
la bandera de tu destino?"grief carries the flag of your destiny?"  
  
--Pablo Neruda  
("The Book of Questions")  
  
  
"Death eats up all things, both the young lamb and old sheep"  
  
--Miguel de Cervantes  
("Don Quixote")  
  
  
"Death has a way of making you see the light,  
appreciate life, and contend with fear that  
is now inescapable. Death is an end, a  
beginning, and a mystery. Perhaps, that is  
why we fear it. Because, of all things, Death  
is the one thing we shall never be able to  
grasp onto; a being that we can never tame  
or overthrow; an entity that we must all bow  
in defeat to, in the end. Death is a curse, a  
confirmation of life and being alive, a waking  
kiss from a wondering dream, an enigma, and  
most of all... Death is what makes us human. Do  
you fear that Serenity? Or do you fear, that  
in cheating the great, inescapable claws of  
Death you will become a being like no other, a  
thing lonely in your origins, and alien to the  
race of your birth? Is that why you welcome  
him to your doorstep? Or is it because you  
fear him, for he shall come hither and take you  
away from life's embrace? Don't be frightened,  
my Queen, for to fear Death is to fear humanity.  
Or, is that what you are truly afraid of? For  
the time when you will have the chance to look  
Death in the face and laughed at his poor  
attempts to win your heart and soul? Are you  
afraid of him because you know, that in facing  
him, you face the possibility that you no  
longer fear him? That you're already alien to  
the people of your birth, and that you are now  
truly alone?"  
  
--Sailor Senshi Pluto  
("Letters To The Queen")  
  
  
  
There was an insane light in the eyes of the woman far below her. The   
shine was unnatural, that skin was too pale, and that smile... It was a   
smile that spoke of finality, endings, and maniacal satisfaction. Why is   
that woman smiling like that? That thing doesn't look like the girl that   
she once knew and called a friend, instead, the woman looked insane. Not   
like the calm, calculating look that had been on that same face years ago   
when the other had been possessed. No, this was different, that was   
different.  
  
Whispered words unheard because of the great distance between them was   
still not great enough to mask those blank, unfeeling eyes and that cold,   
cold smirk. For once, she wished that her eyesight were not heightened by   
her senshi powers, combined with the pulsing presence of the crystal in her   
hands. She shivered under the crimson sky. Somewhere, someone was   
laughing, a despairing and defiant laughter that was carried by the wind to   
her all too sensitive ears. The stars around her glittered, jewels   
suspended all around her in the turmoil-filled atmosphere,   
seemingly unmoved and untouched by the wind. She had not acknowledged their   
existence, not since she saw that blank look on the face of the man beneath   
her feet, not since she recognized that diabolical glitter in the strange   
woman's eyes. And now there was that maniacal laughter...  
  
Glancing around, past the shine of the lights, she found the   
source. But she did not have time to contemplate the whys or the hows,   
instead, a sparkle caught her attention from the corner of her eye and she   
turned once more to the strange woman below.  
  
The mantra, unheard, continued to fall from those silent lips like rain.   
The air vibrated with power as the curved blade rose into the air, and the   
white edge shone in a dull and bloody color -- a reflection of both the   
Earth and the heavens. The silence smothered over lands and the   
pounding chaos, and though she could sense the darkness before her, and   
could hear the echoes of that laughter cut off abruptly by that   
suddenly suffocating pressure, and though the stranger beneath her was   
really no stranger at all, she could not take her eyes from the blade   
beneath the crimson skies. The tension built and was shattered as gravity   
pulled down the curving back of the strangely beautiful and deadly steel,   
magick pulsated, sending ripples into the air and then... the world broke   
like glass as the white blade, washed in blood of both life and death   
smashed into the Earth.  
  
Thump.  
  
Death.  
  
Thump, thump.  
  
Death is not the answer.  
  
  
***  
  
  
She had felt it. When that power rushed out of her body and a washed the   
streets. In that moment she had felt it like a needle hitting her arm and   
awakening her senses with pinpoint precision, only it was not on her arm but   
deep within her belly that the sensation bloomed and came to life. That   
feeling in the pit of her stomach was like a waking, as if something was   
stirring within her, calling to her. Her hand moved over the flat surface,   
not understanding how a moment changed so much and yet nothing at all.   
Hiding her actions by tugging onto her shirt as a nervous action, she caught   
Mamoru studying her from the corner of her eye before she turned to him and   
gave him a reassuring smile, trying to break the sudden tension that had   
settled. They had finally gotten away from everyone to spend some last   
moments alone and she was determined that he would not ruin this as it   
was possibly the last romantic moment they'd ever have a chance to share   
with each other before the battle's end.  
  
"What is it, Usako?" Oh, that man just had to be concerned, didn't he?   
Usagi thought with more irritation than she was willing to show. Why when   
they could die in about an hour from now -- the scheduled time to go out and   
fight their new enemy -- and all he could think about was the stupid enemy!   
What happened to saying goodbye? What happened to enjoying the peace while   
it lasted? What happened to hugs and kisses and reassurances? But no! He   
just had to open his worrywart of a mouth and shoot it off with concern!  
  
So maybe she was being slightly unreasonable at this moment, but she was   
so nervous that she felt that urge to grab the nearest edible thing and start   
to nibble on it to soothe the pounding in her chest! Well, food might not   
soothe her heart but it would be a quick remedy to the unease in her tummy!   
Which reminded her why she was nervous in the first place and when she   
remembered that she was in a panic, again.  
  
In fact, Tsukino Usagi had never been so nervous about anything in her   
whole life! She had been hoping earlier that she would have had time by now   
to drag Ami aside into some small, dark corner and force the other to   
personally scan her with the mini-computer to be sure before Usagi had to   
face her boyfriend, but alas, an enemy appeared. Even after they had beaten   
the bad guys off for just a little bit longer, the blue-haired woman had   
obviously been in no condition now to worry about whether or not her   
princess was... Oh, can't even process the thought! Usagi gulped. How will   
I ever find the courage to tell him? Everything had been going wrong since   
that stupid youma showed up at her school and ruined her life! She had been   
so busy since that incident that she almost missed the feeling the first   
time, the morning after her date with Mamo-chan... her thought trailed off   
as she blushed at the memory of that night by the sea-side. Amazingly   
enough, Minako had not yet picked up the vibes though Usagi was sure the   
other had been slightly suspicious when she had announced her engagement, if   
Minako did have a clue she had obviously been too preoccupied herself to   
make a mention of it to anyone because discretion was certainly not a   
quality that her blonde friend possessed!  
  
Stupid youma! Usagi cursed the ugly, black beasts again in her mind. I   
was so happy before you showed up, but no! Some idiot just had to go, and   
try to take over the world again, didn't they? Some supposed "villain" just   
had to go and try to ruin my and everyone else's happiness, didn't they?   
Mou! This was getting really annoying! For a while she had actually   
thought that the bad guys had finally learned their lesson not to mess with   
the Sailor Senshi team, but now they were back and more a pain in the   
you-know-where than ever before!  
  
Mamoru, mean while, watched his girlfriend with an amused expression   
while a variety of emotions fluttered across Usagi's face at that one   
simple question. He was getting slightly worried, but the comical way she   
was portraying her frustrations lightened his heart and he was glad they had   
at last some time alone. Of course everyone seemed to have understood and   
left them to their own devices. This was, after all, a suicide mission and   
there are just some things that one needed to do and to say to a loved one   
in private. What amazed him slightly was that Usagi had been silent and   
slightly distant this whole time. She was sitting next to him but did not   
cling to his arm, as she was accustomed to do.  
  
Watching his girlfriend take a deep breath and closing her eyes as if to   
calm herself, alarmed Mamoru more than anything else. Usagi was acting so   
out of character today, so much more mature and responsible than before that   
Mamoru wasn't sure what to make of it. Sure, he liked the change, but he   
missed the girl who made him laugh like no one else could, the girl who   
brought exuberance with her wherever she went, he missed that side of her   
because that was the girl he fell in love with. He certainly hoped that she   
would never lose that energy that he had been lacking in his own life for so   
long, but it didn't really matter, Mamoru realized. His features softened   
as he gently set a hand on her shoulder, silently communicating to her his   
support. It didn't matter how she changed or how she would act, Usagi would   
always remain Usagi to him because their love would remain as strong, if not   
stronger with every passing mile of this seemingly, unending adventure.   
Well, what else did he expect with the princess of the Sailor Senshi as   
his girlfriend anyway? And it wasn't as if being a prince made it any easier   
when it came to finding some real peace and quiet.  
  
"Mamo-chan..." she trailed off as she looked at him with serious,   
crystal-blue eyes. There was a hint of doubt in her voice and he felt as if   
he needed to put her at ease because whatever she would tell him in these   
next few moments, he had a feeling that it would be extremely important.  
  
"Usako," he smiled, "do you know what was the first thing I thought when I   
first saw you on the streets those years back?"  
  
She looked wearily at him then, "Odango-atama?" She answered dryly, but   
he could see the lines in her shoulders softening and feel her muscles become   
more lax beneath his palm.  
  
Laughing, he shook his head in denial at her unenthusiastic answer, "No,   
that was the second thought in my head." She gave him a sarcastic look that   
said something along the lines of "Oh joy!" before sighing and planting her   
chin in her hand, giving him whatever time he needed to answer her unspoken   
question as well as her full attention. "I thought this girl is going to be   
something constant in my life for a long time."  
  
"Hontou ni?" Usagi brightened and that old sparkle came into her eyes.  
  
"Aa," he answered and looked out to the glass panel walls of the building   
across the street from where they sat. The reflective surfaces were turning   
red with the glow of the setting sun. "But then you threw that test paper   
at me and right in my face, too! Of course, with that grade I immediately   
thought of odango-atama. It was, I believed at the time, a very logical   
conclusion." Usagi punched him on the arm for that, scowling. But she   
smiled in the end because she couldn't help herself nonetheless, ruining the   
image of her indignant anger. "I don't think I ever regretted that, no   
matter how much we got on each other's nerves," he admitted when she settled   
more comfortably next to him.  
  
"Which do you mean, the odango-atama or meeting me?" He laughed but she   
continued with a teasing light in her eye, "Minako-chan calls what we had   
before, love-tension, and Haruka-san said something along the lines of us   
not getting laid." Usagi replied with that same weariness as before but   
there was laughter in her voice as she remembered those words coming out of   
the arrogant blonde's mouth and Mamoru detected the pain underneath her   
smile as well.  
  
"Trust Haruka-san to be blunt, to-the-point, and unnecessarily graphic,"   
Mamoru joked, trying to lighten her mood and for a long time they were both   
silent, lost in their own thoughts and memories of the past both near and   
distant. "I love you, Usako," he said at last, breaking the silence. It   
was rarely he, who did this, to speak before her or confess his feelings so   
openly, but like Mamoru had already said, no regrets. "I know we confessed   
this to each other before, but I want you to know how much I mean it," he   
explained.  
  
Usagi smiled up at him before looking down at her hand, her eyes wandering   
to the engagement ring on her ring finger. Rei had given her a quizzical   
look when they had settled down, but Usagi was sure Minako would fill the   
other in on the "big news" and whatever else Minako thought would be a great   
story to exaggerate while Rei had been out of the loop. Of course, Usagi   
had no doubt her friend would dramatize ever detail and blushed at what her   
blonde friend might say about her relationship with Mamoru in her absence.   
Well, if the other got out of line, Usagi always had trusty Rei to violently   
bring Minako back into reality and besides, Makoto and Ami would be   
there to correct whatever half-truth the leader of the Sailor Senshi team   
would tell.  
  
Her gaze once again focused on the promise wrapped around her finger. She   
remembered in that moment all the times Mamoru was there for her, the good,   
the bad, and even the ones that others might have considered mediocre and   
mundane. She smiled at them all, even the ones that had once caused her   
endless tears. "Mamo-chan," she began again and this time there was no   
hesitation in her voice. "When this is all over, I think Chibiusa-chan   
would love to hear about it."  
  
The dark-haired prince blinked, surprised at her words and slowly, his   
free hand began to shake before he reached out and steadied it as he covered   
hers. "Y-you don't mean," he whispered in a gasp of disbelief.  
  
"Yes, Mamo-chan," she looked up at him then with a smile so filled with   
love and happiness that he was all but speechless, helpless but to hear her   
answer to his unspoken question. "I'm pregnant."  
  
  
***  
  
  
It's got to be here! Frantic fingers flew over keys as the urgency   
pressed into her head, pressing passed her skull and onto her brain. The   
pressure began to build within, pounding bit by bit behind her searching eyes   
and making her temples throb. It has to be here! Mizuno Ami hardly ever   
panicked, at least, not in the sense of one of those mindless, breathless   
ones that were filled with unease. Along with a blinding headache that she   
knew was coming her way if she pushed herself any further, she could not   
stop her heart from pounding as a million possibilities and scenarios   
flashed inside her head, endlessly distracting her. But she couldn't help   
it, she couldn't stop herself and she was certainly ready to explode if she   
didn't push herself further.  
  
Kino Makoto glanced down at her nails and thought to herself, that after   
all her battles, this might be her last. Looking down at her jagged-edged   
nails, she frowned. "I can't believe I'm going to die without one decent   
manicure." Makoto muttered humorously, glancing over at the maniacal   
expression on Ami's face and sighed when she realized that the other wasn't   
listening. It had been five minutes since her last comment, and she had   
definitely given up trying to get her blue-haired friend to pay attention to   
her by calling the other's name. However, that didn't mean she couldn't   
continue to try to make the other smile. Just one little smile and Makoto   
would have accomplished her task so that she could go down to her grave   
peaceful and happy. One little smile, was that too much to ask for? If the   
other would just stop acting like the world would end if her fingers just   
paused for a second, then Makoto would go on her merry way. She might   
even indulge herself and enjoy the last hour of her life with maybe a piña   
colada if she could locate a bar or some decent coffee if she could locate a   
cafe, anything but stand here and be useless, even worse, totally ignored!  
  
Alas, it was hopeless. Her duties to be a supportive friend overrode all   
else. Anyway, Ami was making her worry. The girl hadn't looked normal   
since that message, and even after Ami had let herself go for just a little   
while during their merry chase around the block, the other had immediately   
reverted back to this lunatic reclusion the moment she was able to slip off   
unnoticed. And that was how Makoto found her. Here, in the middle of an   
alleyway, sitting on a trashcan and typing as if she wasn't on planet Earth   
anymore.  
  
"It has to be here!" Ami screeched out halfway through and threw her   
mini-computer harshly at the blind wall opposite.   
The little machine bounced off of the wall with a crack before   
falling onto the cement walkway. Makoto watched all this after the   
outburst had dragged her out of her own thoughts with a shocked expression   
on her face. Her mouth gaped open at her friend who was currently   
raking nervous fingers through short blue hair that was now, unusually   
ruffled.  
  
"A-Ami-chan?"  
  
Azure eyes blinked as the other turned to see her, surprise written all   
over those delicate, almost elven like features. Yup, Makoto thought to   
herself, I was so definitely not alive in the last twenty so minutes that I   
was breathing next to her. Ami sighed slowly, hopped off of the trashcan   
and tiredly bent over to pick up her mini-computer that immediately came   
back online at her touch. "I'm sorry you had to witness that," Ami said at   
last, her voice calmer and quieter than usual. "Everything is fine."  
  
One big, fat lie coming your way on a silver platter!  
  
Makoto narrowed her eyes, concerned for once about someone else other than   
herself in the past few days. How long has it been since she actually   
worried about someone while not including her own self pity during the act?   
How long since she cared enough to reach out to a friend without worrying   
about how she might hurt them by being in their presence?  
  
Must have been a while, Makoto mused dryly. Though, by the looks of   
things, Ami hadn't noticed that either since she had been distracted   
enough to probably walk straight into her fist if she were but to stick it   
out while the other was pacing around. Admittedly, Makoto herself had been   
selfish these past few weeks, but she had never lied so openly nor was she   
ever that distracted! "If you've considered taking lying up as a new   
profession, I seriously suggest you try to find another, or at the very   
least, think of a better reply than that!" There was more edge to her voice   
than she had intended but the brunette shrugged it off, too perturbed and   
annoyed to care overly much. Whatever made Ami snap was not something that   
was just "fine".  
  
"It was nothing," the other waved away her unease much to Makoto's   
vexation as Ami combed her free hand through her rumpled hair, another   
unconvincing lie.  
  
"Keep that up and I'll be royally pissed in five minutes," Makoto warned   
her through clenched teeth. As if I'm not already, Makoto thought   
wearily.  
  
"You wouldn't understand," Ami replied automatically.  
  
Hell, that girl seems to be on automatic this whole day! Act normal,   
click on computer, smile, and nod head. Everything about the usually warm and   
gregarious blue-haired woman had become mechanical today. In fact, the   
other had it down to a science! "Ami-chan," Makoto's voice was so deadly   
quiet that even Ami looked at her sharply, "I'm not joking."  
  
Smile.  
  
Mechanical reply.  
  
"I know."  
  
Makoto blinked. That wasn't what she was preparing herself to hear.   
"Then why the hell are you doing this to yourself, Ami-chan? We can help! Why   
didn't you tell us about this Core guy that you knew?" Makoto might have   
continued but the look on Ami's face at the mention of the man's name made   
her pause. "What is he to you, anyway?"  
  
"My mentor," Ami replied. This time it was mechanical.  
  
"Bullshit!" Makoto slammed her fist onto the wall next to her, making Ami   
jump slightly and wince at the action. If she had been in her senshi form,   
Makoto might just have created a new peephole; only it would not have been a   
very effective peephole since it would be around the size of her fist.   
"Tell the truth because telling me lies is only making this conversation   
longer than it should be."  
  
"Why are you here, Mako-chan?"  
  
Mizuno Ami's tactics number two: change the subject.  
  
Growling, Makoto could feel her patience slipping. "Why do you think I'm   
here Ami-chan?" She began to yell and even though Makoto knew this wasn't   
the best way to get through to her friend, she was getting desperate. With   
every passing moment in the presence of Ami-the-machine, Makoto was getting   
more and more uncomfortable. "I'm you friend and I'm worried about you!   
We're going out there and we're probably not coming back, hell, we're   
probably going to die Ami-chan! And instead of enjoying your last moments   
on Earth, you're here! In an alleyway! On a trashcan! And being pissed   
out of your mind while not telling a damn soul about what is wrong... and   
damnit, this is getting fucking old!"  
  
Makoto's voice echoed down the alleyway when she was done and Ami remained   
silent for a long time. "Maybe you should go and enjoy your last moments on   
Earth instead of being here with me, Mako-chan," Ami told her through a   
forced smile. Yet there was a glitter on the corner of those eyes and   
Makoto reached out then and pulled the smaller woman into her arms.  
  
"Friends don't do that," Makoto answered her softly.  
  
Ami's small hands fisted and Makoto felt the other girl tense before   
relaxing in her embrace. "I don't know if I can face him like this,   
Mako-chan," she said at last. "Not when I don't know who he is or which   
side he's on. I know I'm the logical one, the smart one, and I have been   
doing everything in my power to make everyone happy. Minako-chan's right,   
I don't know anything about this man and yet, I trusted him so much!" There   
were tears soaking into Makoto's shirt as the brunette looked at the red,   
sunset skies. "I trust him even now, and I just can't stop no matter how   
logically my mind is working!" The small wailing sounds and the shaking   
shoulders gave away how deeply this had hurt Ami, it gave away how much the   
other hated it and how helpless Ami was against the feelings that ran   
throughout her own body, clouding the mind they had all come to depend on so   
much.  
  
I was here once too, Makoto thought. I was lost like this once and I   
still am lost. Even after all that I have gone through, standing at the   
crossroads that she is now standing at, I still don't know what to say.   
After everything that had ever happened to me, every pain and every   
heartache, I still don't know what it is that is the best thing to say right   
now, Makoto realized. If Ittou Asanuma -- the man who believed in her --   
were here, he would know what to say and what to do. In the rain when her   
heart was broken, what had he said to her on that fateful day? Something   
about how 'even the rain will stop falling, someday, Makoto-san.'  
  
"Even the rain will stop falling... ka?" Makoto whispered to herself,   
tasting the words on her tongue. It tasted bittersweet, melting away like   
chocolate and morning mists.  
  
"Wh-what did you say, Mako-chan?" Ami asked through a sniffle, but there   
was genuine curiosity in the other's voice that had been hollow but moments   
before.  
  
"Something someone said to me a long time ago," Makoto told her with a   
smile and stepped back, but her hands were still on Ami's shoulders when she   
looked into slightly reddened eyes, noting the pale skin that was now puffy   
from the tears. "When this is over, Ami-chan, maybe you two should have   
coffee or something, and talk it over. You've known each other for years   
now, right?" Ami nodded stupidly, bewildered at the other's suggestion.   
"So, it'll be like getting to know an old, lost friend, right?" Again the   
nod, and Makoto smiled brightly at the other. She hadn't felt this good   
since the youma at their school had shown up and ruined everything, even now   
the thoughts of the past couldn't cloud her lightened spirits. "Maybe   
you'll even find out that you two have a lot of things in common," Makoto   
winked. "And who knows, you might just have won yourself a boyfriend." At   
this Ami turned bright red and began to splutter protests through fumbling,   
embarrassed words. "Baka," Makoto teased. "Now I know you like him for   
sure!"  
  
If possible, Ami blushed harder than ever. "Ma-Mako-chan!"  
  
This time it was laughter that echoed down the alleyway that became empty   
when the silence settled over once more.  
  
  
***  
  
  
"I can't believe I'm stuck here with you," Fuma groaned as he slouched   
onto the bar.  
  
"It was the truth," Hiketsu shrugged, knowing exactly why Fuma didn't want   
to be "stuck" with him. "She would've found out sooner or later. And might   
I remind you, if you haven't noticed, your stunt with the claw going through   
your chest didn't help."  
  
"How did you know about that anyway? I thought you and your girlfriend   
didn't arrive until later." Fuma snorted, unwilling to admit defeat.  
  
"Her name is Rei, and Minako-san informed Rei-chan who informed me   
earlier," Hiketsu shrugged to hid his own annoyance with the other man. Not   
feeling obliged to explain anything else to Fuma, Hiketsu reached out for   
the glass next to him and drank some of his water. The distinct, uneasy   
feeling from the massive unrest and chaotic emotions that were radiating   
from the city outside was making Hiketsu feel slightly nauseous.  
  
Fuma still muttered under his breath but Hiketsu simply ignored the other   
as he silently watched Rei and Minako swing between bickering and chatting   
amicably. It wasn't like the two men had much to say to each other, and   
anyway, there was enough noise as it was coming from the girls in front of   
them. "Usagi-chan's engaged," Minako announced cheerfully all of a sudden   
to her best friend who was sitting across the table from her.  
  
"Really?" Rei asked, her narrowed eyes widening as the raven-haired miko   
perked up at the news. That explains the ring, the dark-haired woman   
thought to herself happily. "So, Mamoru-kun finally got up the nerve to pop   
the question, huh?"  
  
"Not just that, from the look on her face when she told us," Minako   
trailed off with a furtive giggle. "I think he got up the nerve to do a lot   
more than that. So that means they probably fogged the windows, if there had   
been any since he did propose on a beach--"  
  
Thus the argument began as Usagi had predicted earlier, though Minako   
didn't get the chance to get really graphic before her best friend   
interrupted her. Rei had annoyance written clearly on her face as she   
frowned at her best friend's comment, "M-Minako-chan!" The dark-haired   
woman exclaimed, "I really didn't need to know that!" She hissed, eyes   
glaring at the blonde before her.  
  
"Oh, you're such a proper-pooper, after all, you know what they say: in   
love, there is always one who offers the ring with foggy windows and free   
kisses!" Minako proclaimed proudly, her eyes already beginning to glaze   
over. "I think it's absolutely romantic!" The blonde added with a dreamy   
sigh.  
  
Rei sighed in exasperation before she glared down at her friend, "The   
correct quote is, 'In love, there is always one who kisses and one who   
offers the cheek'. And what do you mean by me being a proper-pooper, you   
baka?" Rei demanded as she leaned over the small, cafe table at the other   
woman causing the ice to rattle in their glass cups. "I, at least, have the   
decency to know that talking about our friend's sex-life is a no-no."   
Minako's pout turned into a grin as blue eyes peeked up at the other through   
blond lashes. It was an expression that seemed to say, "Got you!" The   
blonde flipped back the golden locks of her hair as she leaned her arm   
against the back of her chair and studied the raven-haired miko, not at all   
fazed. "Well?" Rei demanded again.  
  
"You're the one who mentioned sex, Rei-chan." was Minako's smug reply.  
  
Rei blinked in surprise at this, caught totally off guard, before she shot   
a glare at her blonde friend. A flush of indignant anger flashed through those   
purple eyes as Minako ruined her whole clever ploy by bursting into a   
series of helpless giggles as Rei all but loomed over her with her with   
annoyance, not appreciating how she was being made fun off. "Y-you, you   
should see the look on you-your f-face!" Minako sputtered.  
  
"B-Baka!" Rei growled out angrily, wanting to do Minako some serious,   
bodily harm as her fingers curled into fists.  
  
"I can't believe you're dating a high school girl," Fuma teased Hiketsu at   
that exact moment, having nothing else better to do then. "Aren't we a   
little bit of a closet ecchi, eh, eh, Kagemi-san?"  
  
Hiketsu didn't even twitch at the question, "I'm still younger than you."  
  
Fuma though, did twitch at the comment, "Ha ha ha," he barked off a fake   
laugh, "What a snob." He muttered.  
  
Hiketsu raised one brow of amused irritation as he rose smoothly from his   
place at the bar and walked over to Rei, gently setting a hand over her.   
The dark-haired miko immediately stopped flailing her arms around in   
frustration at the giggling Minako. Well, Rei still wanted to mutilate her   
friend a little but that could wait. "We need to talk," Hiketsu told her   
simply.  
  
Nodding as uncertainty and curiosity flashed in her eyes, she turned to   
Minako who had stopped laughing only long enough to look from her to Hiketsu   
in curiosity. Before the blonde woman could make another sly comment, Rei   
aimed her finger at her warningly, "No spying or," pulling her finger back   
as if she were pulling the trigger of a gun, the miko grinned at Minako with   
an unnaturally threatening smile. "I'll make it burn, again." Rei warned   
as she hitched her thumb over her shoulder casually.  
  
Instinctively, Minako grabbed onto her golden locks and glared at her best   
friend, all of her earlier humor disappearing completely from her face.   
"You wouldn't!" Minako growled.  
  
"Try me," Rei winked and then walked away with a slightly amused Hiketsu,   
leaving behind a totally curious Fuma.  
  
"What did she mean by that?" Fuma asked as he slid into the chair that   
Rei had been occupying when she wasn't towering over the table.  
  
"Oh, it was in the beginning, one of the few times back then when   
Rei-chan and I were still competing." Minako explained absent-mindedly, her   
chin in her hand and her face strangely nostalgic. "Well," she laughed   
slightly, "it was more like I was competing with her." Fuma did not ask this   
time why. "At the time, I was still getting used to the idea that Rei-chan   
wasn't just a stuck-up, proper, and beautiful snob... everything I wasn't   
then." Minako sighed sadly, "Everything I am not, now." Blue eyes looked   
out into the open and Fuma felt her revealing a part of her heart to him,   
the part of her that was insecure about her place in the world and with her   
friends. "So one time, when Rei-chan and I were the only ones in the   
vicinity of this rampaging youma, I was being really selfish and I was   
reluctant to help. I thought, she can handle herself since she is just so   
great, and anyway, there was this cute boy to save." Minako grin became   
sheepish and had it been anyone else, they would not have detected the guilt   
in her voice as she remembered the past. "By the time I put the guy at a   
relatively safe distance and came back, Rei was sitting by a pile of ashes,   
but she had broken her arm and twisted an ankle fighting. Not only that she   
was protecting a passed-out, civilian girl that had stupidly gotten in the   
way. I didn't realize how much I was putting at risk because I was   
distracted during my duties then, and after that incident and a few others,   
I realized, this hot-tempered priestess who would hide everything behind a   
mask to everyone, even her friends, I want to like her and get to know her.   
I want to be her friend, her best-friend, because no matter what or who   
needed her help, she would protect them to the end if her duty and her sense   
of honor called for it." Blond bangs fell over her eyes, and a weary smile   
came over her lips, "She was everything I wasn't and I wanted to learn.   
Needless to say, she took vengeance on me by burning off a good chunk of my   
hair when she saw me and then purposefully ignored me over the weeks that   
followed until her cast came off. I guess I deserved it, but   
it took awhile to accept the fact that I was wrong, you know? That, and my   
hair was a few inches shorter than I wanted it to be."  
  
"Minako-chan," Fuma settled his hand over her own, giving her the comfort   
that she needed when she looked up to him. "Everybody grows up someday,   
some just had to do it faster than others, but that doesn't mean you have to   
be like them and rush." Grey-violet eyes looked into her own as he smiled   
at her with a seriousness that most people never witnessed before. "Growing   
up is painful, and sometimes it is better to be a child for just a little   
longer."  
  
Minako smiled then at him with her blue, teary eyes. She tilted her head   
to one side and studied him through her long lashes, "Thank you, Fuma." And   
she meant it, glad to know that he would accept her sometimes silly and   
outrageous antics with a smile and unspoken understanding.  
  
"Now, how about some of that spying," Fuma inquired cheerfully. It   
elicited a giggle out of the girl before him just as he had planned and   
expected. "I'll give you some pointers," Fuma winked.  
  
"And get my hair burned again?" Minako joked, "She'll be sure to make me   
bald this time!"  
  
"Never stopped you before, I'm sure." Fuma replied dryly.  
  
Minako smiled and shook her head, "This time I think it's different."  
  
"Dying of curiosity, aren't you?" He asked.  
  
"Totally!" She exclaimed before a glint came over her eyes, "But I   
thought you would want to spend some quality time with me now that we're...   
alone." Stressing her last word, Minako leaned over the table and never broke   
eye contact as she reached out.  
  
Fuma gulped before a silly grin came over his face, "Well, now that you   
pointed that out, I guess there are better things to do." He admitted,   
lacing his fingers through with hers as he pulled them once again into his   
world beyond the illusion.  
  
  
***  
  
  
"Do you think they're following us?" Rei asked, glancing furtively out   
passed one corner.  
  
Hiketsu laughed at her antics, "I don't sense Minako-san's presence."  
  
"Minako-san?" Rei tested the sound on her lips and laughed, "Gosh, if she   
ever becomes serious enough to be called that, I'd--"  
  
"Be proud?" He was smiling when she turned to him, dark hair spilling   
over one shoulder as she tilted her head to study him.  
  
"I was going to say eat my shoes, but I guess yours is the less painful   
option of the two." Rei grinned at him, glad to see that he hadn't   
seriously changed over the years that they'd been apart. When Hiketsu   
smiled, he looked so much younger, almost like the boy she once knew. Well,   
maybe just a smidgen more handsome, but she wasn't about to admit that out   
loud!  
  
"Rei-chan," darkened eyes blinked up to him questioningly. "I wanted to   
ask you this for a long time now, but I guess I never knew what to say then,   
when we haven't seen each other in so long." He trailed off, and Rei   
blinked, unsure if the tint of warmth in his cheeks was really a show of his   
discomfort.  
  
"Not that great at confessions are you, priest?" Rei joked, trying to   
lighten the suddenly tense moment. "And I thought you had grown out of   
that--"  
  
"Do you love my brother?" Hiketsu asked, cutting her off. They both   
blinked, surprised by his bluntness and now she was sure that he was blushing.  
  
"I did once," she answered truthfully after a small pause when she   
gathered both her thoughts and her courage, looking away nonetheless when she   
answered because she was slightly embarrassed by this herself. "All the way   
up to the point when I found out he was getting married."  
  
"Will you ever stop?" His voice was deep and sad, too sad to have had the   
question meant for her.  
  
"No, I will never stop loving him." Rei admitted, "He was the first man I   
ever trusted after Hino-san, and even after everything had happened, I   
couldn't help but still love him. We had been kindred spirits for so long   
that I couldn't stop thinking of him as one even when I denied him the title   
for so long. When he had called again after Hino-san's... death... I guess,   
I realized that it wasn't a feeling that I could make disappear simply   
because I didn't want to admit that it was there." She did not need to look   
over to Hiketsu to know how much her answer had hurt him, "But,   
Hiketsu-kun," she turned her head then, looking bravely into his blue-gaze   
too dark for day and too bright for night. "That doesn't mean I stopped   
loving other people."  
  
Her simple words caused Hiketsu to widen his eyes at her, and somehow she   
felt like drowning in those eyes. Why hadn't she ever realized how   
beautiful he was? She remembered the days spent under the summer sun and   
autumn trees, remembered his boyish smiles and childish pranks. The   
memories almost made her smile as she watched him standing before her. And   
then she realized that yes, he resembled his brother but there were so many   
other things that were so different between the two. "Rei-chan, are you   
sure?" There was uncertainty in his voice now and he looked slightly taken   
aback by what she told him.  
  
"Have I ever been unsure?" She asked him, with a raise of her brow as if   
to challenge.  
  
Chuckling slightly at her reply, he set hesitant hands onto her shoulders;   
still not quite sure himself about how comfortable she was with his   
nearness. "I can wait if you're not sure, Rei-chan." Hiketsu told her with   
his eyes in that deep and serious dark-azure shade.  
  
She blinked up at him and felt her heartbeat increase, stepping forward   
she held him in her embrace and it felt good to finally get this close to   
somebody else, scary but good. It felt heavenly to have that feeling of   
security that was so fleeting in her life. And if she ever admitted it to   
herself, it felt especially good to know that it was someone she had always   
trusted, though maybe, not always liked with all the rivalries they had   
shared in their childhood. But Hiketsu had always been there when she had   
no one else to turn to, he had always been there to lend a hand when she was   
reaching out into the empty space, and she knew that if she let him, he   
would always be there for her.  
  
Warm arms wrapped around her tightly and she was submerged into him.  
  
  
***  
  
  
The first word that came into her mind to describe what she had seen was,   
"Demon." Aqua blinked in surprise at her choice, startled but not   
confused.  
  
"Uranus?" Neptune inquired as they watched the silhouette of a man walking   
from the flames. It was not a question seeking for answers about what she   
had meant, but a question wanting to discover the source of her moods that   
made the word slip so easily from between her own lips.  
  
"I feel as if I'm in a dream," a soft voice uttered, interrupting their   
silent communications as three pairs of surprised eyes fell onto Saturn.   
She had been so quiet since Pluto's return that they didn't know what to   
make of it and those were not the first words that anyone of them would have   
imagined the raven-haired girl to utter.  
  
"Is he an enemy?" The sandy-haired blonde asked, gloved fingers tapping   
her chin in thought as they stood on the pile of rubble, waiting for the   
other to reach them. Both helicopters were parked but a few meters away   
from them.  
  
"No," Neptune answered, glancing down at her mirror. "He is our new   
destiny."  
  
Pluto looked grim as she watched the stranger approach and they saw that   
in his arms he was cradling a body. "Oh, I hope that wasn't a victim he   
killed," Uranus muttered. The Senshi of Wind was being distrustful of the   
whole situation, not liking this vague, fortune-telling bit in the least.   
She itched to return to Tokyo and fight alongside the others. Hell, she   
wanted it so bad she'd even apologize for wanting to pound them the last   
time they were together. Well, maybe not apologize, she thought with a   
rueful grin. Maybe, punch Jupiter on the shoulder for the little incident   
and make sure all of them, especially Neptune stay as far away from that   
girl as possible. But what would she have to do to be in the same, damn   
country with her princess, anyway? Was it too much to ask for? Because she   
would do whatever it took, if given the chance, instead of going around in   
circles in the outside world looking for some maniac she didn't even know!   
Whatever it took except abandoning Neptune and Saturn to the fates of the   
world, hell, she'd do it for Pluto too but she'd probably flat out refuse if   
it were Pluto that asked her to leave Tokyo. "How the hell did he survive,   
anyway?" Uranus demanded. "Are you sure we can trust him?"  
  
All of this for one man! Uranus narrowed her eyes at his silhouette in   
the distance. He was part of the cause of Saturn's change, or so she told   
herself because if she thought hard on it, she might find that she was to be   
faulted for it too. Her hime-chan was growing up and not into the woman   
they had hoped, not into the woman with the glowing innocent eyes and big   
dreams that once laughed and played with them. No, she was turning into a   
soldier with a heart of stone, and those innocent eyes of a child had died,   
swallowed by the black, death-like being inside her soul. And all of   
this for the man in the distance, all of the sacrifices for the people of   
Earth. Somehow, duty -- even the thought of it -- left a bitter taste in   
her mouth, somehow she was not so enthusiastic about losing everything   
because everything that had become important to her had changed and in turn,   
changed who she was as well. Ten'ou Haruka, the alias of Sailor Senshi   
Uranus, had taken a life of her own, and did not wish to put her adoptive   
daughter's life on the sacrificial altar for mankind before that youma named   
Fate. Instead, she selfishly wanted to protect those close to her, but she   
was a Sailor Senshi, an Outer Senshi, and her pride made her stand tall   
before the darkness while her heart broke within. And she stood tall, while   
her fears grew and her concern for the dark-haired child stormed within her,   
pulling at her honor and her belief in duty. It was only soothed by the   
presence of her aqua-haired partner, who shared her burdens and her pain,   
the woman who understood her shame and her love and her reluctance at all   
that had occurred and all that would occur in the future.  
  
"The mirror tells me that we're his ticket to Tokyo." Neptune's voice   
broke through the sandy-blonde's thoughts and Uranus brightened at the   
realization of what her companion was saying.  
  
"Well, now that you mentioned... what are we waiting for?" Casting an   
annoyed glance at the distant traveler, Uranus set a fist to her waist as   
impatience was written all over her usually arrogant face. "Can't the   
bastard move just a little faster? We're not going to stand here and wait   
for him all day!"  
  
Neptune sighed and Pluto smiled wearily at the two before her. Pluto's hip   
still throbbed from the fall but she was glad that Alyssa's slap had not   
left any noticeable bruising on her cheek, at least she would not have to   
explain her disappearance to her already suspicious friends. It had been a   
strange episode and she had a nagging feeling that Alyssa reacted   
too calmly to her threats this time. Not that Alyssa was calm nor was that   
alien-machine predictable, but there was something out of place about that   
meeting that Pluto just couldn't quite put her finger on.  
  
"They're here," Saturn's voice suddenly cut through them all in its eerie   
prediction.  
  
"No, he's not! He's still a block away," Uranus complained, missing the   
gist of the deadly warning.  
  
Neptune's grip on the handle of her mirror tightened as aqua eyes closed in   
concentration. "Submarine Reflection!"  
  
A rumble from underground as light cast over the area around them and   
soon agitated shadows rose from the rubble and the cement, emerging from   
the cracks and the pores of the Earth and the city. "Oh, them." Uranus   
nodded with a feral smile dancing upon her lips, acknowledging her earlier   
mistake.  
  
"We should take care of them before our guest arrives," Neptune suggested   
as she lowered her mirror, her own stance relaxing lazily as they surveyed   
their new enemies. Every muscle leaked out the tension that had been felt   
in the past few hours, the aqua-haired woman's body was now ready for combat   
and the fluidity required for her attacks.  
  
"Of course, I wouldn't want to come off as a disagreeable hostess right   
away." Uranus replied dryly as she pushed back the sandy-blonde bangs,   
raising her nose imperiously as a twinkle came over her eyes. "I promise to   
take out the garbage and try not to leave too much of a mess, dear." Clear   
blue eyes flirtatiously looked over to her aqua-haired partner.  
  
"I know you wouldn't," Neptune replied with equal playfulness, a small   
smile coming to her lips.  
  
Surveying the youma that were appearing more and more, Pluto set a   
concerned hand onto Saturn's shoulder, ignoring Uranus and Neptune's   
cheerful banter. "Are you ready for this, Hotaru-chan?"  
  
For a long while, the girl did not reply. White gloved fingers stretched   
out one hand just as their opponents leapt at them and the two senshi before   
them sprung into action so fast that several black bodies collapsed   
immediately into ash before their enemies could even land. Pluto was frozen   
in place as the Glaive materialized before her and Saturn pulled back her   
arm, holding the weapon horizontally next to her body. The grim weapon was   
taller than Pluto remembered, towering over the short girl while   
those empty, cold eyes turned to her. "Death is always ready."  
  
In that moment the little girl she had raised for the past few years was   
gone and so was the soldier's shoulder from beneath her palm. Before she   
could even blink, the other had already plunged into the heart of the enemy.   
Uranus and Neptune jumped back startled, looking at each other   
questioningly before turning to the wide-eyed Pluto. "What happened to   
her?" the aqua-haired woman asked worriedly, fidgeting as her body hovered   
between motherly anxiety and the need to protect Saturn from harm. Neptune   
was obviously fighting every instinct to just jump into the fray and help   
her little girl without listening to what Pluto had to say, but the senshi   
in her stayed, wanting an explanation to appease her intellect.  
  
"She definitely did not act like that, even when she was possessed by   
Mistress Nine." Uranus muttered in agreement with her partner as Saturn   
moved with unnatural speed. For once, the blonde was showing her own   
growing concerns for the child they all helped raise together, the child   
that had made them into the family that they lacked and found again in   
each other. And right now, that same child they all loved was becoming more   
and more lost to them right before their eyes. There was nothing they could   
do, nothing if they were to remain true to their cause. Arches of   
silver light cut through the air and wherever Saturn went, Death seemed   
to be beckoning to the darkness of her enemies at her purple-booted heels,   
taking all those that had fallen.  
  
"It's too late," Pluto said regretfully at last. Her hand was still   
hovering where Saturn had been before she had moved away, "She has chosen   
her own destiny."  
  
"I won't let her fight her demons alone!" Uranus growled and leapt after   
her daughter, refusing to let Saturn fight alone and shoving aside her own   
unease to think upon later, doing what Neptune forced herself not to do.  
  
"We can do nothing?" Neptune asked as Pluto raised her own staff and   
tensed her muscles, ready to leap away at a moments notice.  
  
The aqua-haired senshi's voice made her pause in her motion and apologetic   
eyes saw the side profile of Neptune's face, whose eyes were only for Saturn   
now. "I'm sorry, Michiru, but it is still her choice."  
  
A bitter smile curved over those poetic lips but Neptune's eyes could not   
be seen from where Pluto stood. "I never told her how proud I was of the   
woman she was becoming," before Pluto could answer Neptune had gone after   
her love and the child she had already lost to the winds of fate, wielding   
her "Deep Submerging," as she went, cleaving a path of light in the   
darkness.  
  
Pluto sighed again and shook her head, this was not the future she had   
hoped for but there was nothing else she could do, the wheels that she had   
set in motion would not stop because of her own hesitation, it was too late   
for that now. Clutching her staff, she dove into the fight, slamming the   
butt of the garnet rod down into the ground as she uttered the words of   
power. Dead Scream radiated outwards as Pluto exercised control over the   
power she so rarely wielded unless in dire need, and though she would be   
ashamed to admit it to herself, she was using the battle as an outlet for her   
own frustration, letting the adrenaline of the hunt and the kill overtake her   
senses. She was at heart, after all, a Senshi and would always be a senshi   
in her twisted, old soul that would not and could not rest till that day in   
the future when her duties were finally fulfilled.  
  
There was no other way out of the one path she picked from the thousands of   
possibilities for the building of Crystal Tokyo. At the time, the decision   
had been so simple. At the time, when Lady Charolet had first made her   
appearance with her wayward clone of a brother from space, when the residues   
of Serenity's magick had ebbed from the Solar System and Earth was getting   
back on her feet again, at that time, the sacrifices did not seem so   
difficult as now. But the twists and turns that had taken her here   
had left her somewhat unready for the choices that she had to make. Now, no   
longer so young as those centuries ago and a lot wiser, she had seen many of   
the mistakes she had made along the way. Not just that, the repercussions   
of those actions and how they could turn everything upside-down was making   
it totally wrong.  
  
Fighting became automatic as she twisted and turned wearily from the   
sharpened claws and teeth. Blurry motions that her senshi speed allowed her   
had made it easier for her, but it tired her also having not   
used the magick required for it for so long. "Rusty," she muttered as the   
garnet rod came up just in time to parry an attack that she could have   
easily avoided without having to make contact years ago.  
  
There were still many things she had to make sure went right, but the   
countless little mistakes she had made along the way were snow-balling into   
one error too great to avoid. This will be the death of me! Pluto thought   
to herself darkly as she twisted away from another swipe aimed at her heart   
before retaliating with a powerful attack of her own. Funny how the   
seemingly easy tasks of sacrificing a few lives for the future had seemed so   
much simpler in the past, that is until she had to start raising the knife   
to plunge it down.  
  
Too many unknown anomalies that had gotten in her way, she admitted. Some,   
she had not even foreseen. It was, still, part of the job at least and   
Pluto was sure she could handle it.  
  
It was in that moment that Uranus' "Demon" arrived and upon looking at him,   
Pluto's stomach sank lower as she raised her staff again to block an attack   
from another youma that had gotten closer than it should have.  
  
Damn it, I should've known! Pluto swore silently as she saw the throb of   
red in the wires that marred the right eye of Core, I should've known that   
Charolet was acting too damn smug and letting the whole matter drop too   
easily. Pluto's eyes widened in surprise at whom Core was holding in   
his arms. It was the body of Kalic, the man who had agreed to Pluto's   
request of a favor those years ago when he had first became a potentially   
brilliant scientist. The man had been Core's only barrier to his true self   
and now, Pluto could see that the other was quite dead. Charolet's mark on   
him was clear, for on his chest she had tattooed her signature circuit that   
probably controlled him till his last breath, broadcasting an unending   
stream of messages out in search of Core's location. It was probably that   
same signature that kept the man from turning into the youma that they were   
now fighting.  
  
Pluto admitted her gravest error then as she watched Core lash out at the   
armies of darkness without so much as a blink of an eye or the lift of a   
finger. Brother and sister were both powerful beings, intelligent and   
filled with a brute strength that their human-like stature belied. Ruthless   
and cunning, when the two had first arrived on Earth, she had considered   
eliminating them on sight, as well as the group they traveled with. She had   
almost succeeded had their hive-like nature not overcome her powers. For   
the group, as a whole, had outsmarted her even though at the time they were   
too weak to defend themselves from her. Rebuilding their leader and the   
second-prototype that was to become known as Core, they had made brother and   
sister independent of the hive and died protecting them, making sure that   
Pluto was too late in her coming to stop the two from surviving on their   
own.  
  
She had tried and as a last desperate act, she had taken the "egg" out of   
Charolet's reproductive coding and hidden it into the corridors of time. A   
mistake in that when she had stopped Time those years ago to save Neptune   
and Uranus from the helicopter explosion, the "egg" had fallen out into the   
Time Stream and grew into a man. She could not retrieve him for it would   
have been impossible to do so without killing him and unleashing the   
information he carried into a universally-wide broadcast that Charolet would   
have heard for sure! So she could only hope to locate him and make sure   
that Charolet, now going by the name of Alyssa Smith, would not find him.   
Only he disappeared a while back during the turmoil of the epidemic.  
  
Pluto grimaced when she realized that when she had been unable to decide   
who to protect from Charolet, the woman had gone and slowly but surely,   
found her way to both. If Pluto was lucky, Alyssa's "egg" died with the   
rest of the human population before Alyssa could have found him, if Pluto   
was very lucky that is. If the first key was lost than Alyssa would be   
unable to obtain her ultimate goals. Then, the dangerous game that she and   
the alien woman played would at last be over and she would come out   
victorious.  
  
If that were the case then Pluto would have one less thing to worry about.   
Yet she acknowledged, while she watched Core walk towards them without so   
much as a blink of his mechanical eyes, while the youma beings were unable   
to even get near enough to scratch him, that she had seriously   
underestimated Charolet's abilities, hers and her brother's, both.  
  
The other had woken Core -- brother and clone -- the second key to Alyssa   
Smith's ultimate Utopia.  
  
  
***  
  
  
"Do you think anyone noticed that Mamoru-kun had changed into Endymion a   
while back during the battle?" Luna asked her companion out of the blue.  
  
Artemis blinked, "He did?"  
  
"I guess no one else noticed but me before he detransformed. If anyone   
else did, no one had time to comment with so many things going on," the dark   
cat was thoughtful about this. "I'm going to mention it at our next meeting   
if I can."  
  
Artemis nodded sagely and kept quiet. A comfortable silence settled around   
them and the white cat was halfway to dreamland before Luna interrupted.   
The dark cat lazily tapped her tail against the cement ground, feline ears   
twitching every once and again as she studied her charge and the girl's   
fiancé from afar. "Do you think that she ever notices that I'm not there   
anymore, Artemisu?"  
  
The white cat glanced at her through sleepy blue eyes before he yawned,   
waking from his nap. He had hoped that the earlier scene with his Sailor   
Senshi had been nothing but a nightmare but now he knew everything was back   
to the old days of battles and monsters, much to his disappointment. He   
raised a brow at Luna's fretting but then again, he understood since he had   
been wondering about the same thing with Minako. The girl seemed to have   
found herself a boyfriend, much to Artemis' disapproval. At the thought of   
Kuragari Fuma, Artemis' frown deepened.  
  
"I guess she had to grow up someday, ne?" Luna sniffled at the fond   
memories of the past, missing Artemis' worried frown. She sounded like she   
was trying to comfort her own doubts.  
  
"You're beginning to sound like a mother who has sent away her kittens,"   
Artemis grumbled uncomfortably, not really sure how to deal with an   
emotional Luna once he dragged himself away from the thoughts of the man   
dating Minako. Hell, he was starting to sound like a possessive dad   
himself! Artemis glanced over at his companion, more used to her whacking   
him with her claws, beating him up with them or even yelling at him. He   
certainly was not used to this vulnerable side to her usually strong and   
domineering presence. The past few weeks showed him that Luna kept a lot of   
her worries to herself and though she did not complain, it strained her to keep   
everything to herself.  
  
The dark cat turned to him, slightly embarrassed by that same streak of   
sadness still shining through her eyes. "Gomen ne, Artemisu," she looked   
down at her paws as she pushed herself into a sitting position while   
attempting to be cheerful. "I mean I should be proud how she turned out,   
ne?" There were tears misting her eyes and she looked away, trying to hide   
it from him, "After all, I don't need to instruct her on how to use her   
powers anymore and what need does she have for a useless cat that can't even   
protect herself, ne?"  
  
Artemis might have missed the tears but he would never have missed the   
sob that caught in her throat, choking her slightly as she rambled. He   
stretched and leaned over, butting his head gently against her side to catch   
her attention and she looked down at him surprised, streaks of tears matting   
her fur. "Don't," he commanded her. More tears fell as she blinked at him in  
surprise. Artemis rarely used that tone of voice with anyone when it was   
clear that it had never been his forte to even think about commanding anyone.  
  
"Artemisu?" He ignored her question as he used his tongue to clean away   
her tears.  
  
"You look prettier without them, neko-chan," he blushed at the endearment   
and looked away as those words slipped from his tongue. Luna gaped at him   
though he could not see her astounded expression. Now she knew he was   
trying but he must have really been worried to have said that much because   
the Artemis she knew was timid and very, very shy.  
  
She smiled and shook away her gloom, looking over to the happy couple that   
was Mamoru and Usagi. She had to accept that one day those two were going   
to grow up and not need her as much, though that didn't mean they didn't   
need her at all. It still hurt but she could get used to the ache with this   
baka Artemis beside her through all of their days. She leaned over and set   
her head against his shoulder, purring in contentment and gratitude.   
"Arigatou Artemisu," she glanced up, amused when she felt him become   
flustered under his fur.  
  
"D-don't worry about it," he laughed nervously. She smiled and pulled   
away, now that was the Artemis she knew!  
  
"Luna, Artemis," both cats looked up to see Ami emerging from the buildings   
as the blue-haired woman glanced once over to see Mamoru and Usagi before   
looking away in embarrassment to have walked in on such intimate moments.   
"Can I speak to you about something?" Ami paused to see the expectant look   
on both cats before she realized that the two weren't going anywhere,   
"Elsewhere." She added pointedly as she quickly glanced over to Mamoru and   
Usagi before glancing away, unwilling to intrude any longer on their private   
moment together.  
  
Luna blinked, as did Artemis. The two cats looked at each other before   
realizing that the distance between Ami and the couple behind them and the   
distance between the cats and the couple behind them were estimated in two   
completely different ways. "Oh, sorry Ami-chan," Luna apologized with a   
sheepish grin. "Let's go somewhere private, ne?" Artemis groaned as his   
female companion shot him a deadly glare, "You too, lazy bones," Luna   
scoffed.  
  
"And I thought we were on good terms but a moment ago," he muttered and   
Luna's feline ears caught what Ami's human ones did not.  
  
A loud whack could be heard as well as a yelp of pain as Luna began   
berating Artemis as Ami sighed in exasperation at the two. What did Minako   
call this again? The blue-haired woman wondered, something about   
love-tension was it? The preposterous idea made Ami red in the face as she   
quietly endured this "love-tension" between Luna and Artemis. Good thing   
Ami didn't know what Haruka had to say about things like this, it would have   
made her blush to her toes!  
  
  
***  
  
  
They found her picking up her soda at the vending machine, auburn hair   
falling in waves from the ponytail that she had discarded earlier. It gave   
her face a much more feminine touch and she looked older now as she   
straightened and faced both of them with surprise shining in her eyes.   
"Rei-chan," emerald eyes welcomed before sliding over to the dark-haired   
woman's companion and an awkward silence fell between them as Kino Makoto   
tried very hard not to frown at Hiketsu.  
  
Rei smiled at her with an ease that surprised her friend for she had never   
seen the miko so relaxed before in anyone's presence, or so cheerful for   
that matter. "Hey, Mako-chan," the dark-haired woman chirped and   
practically floated over to her and blinked at the vending machine before   
she looked over at her with pleading eyes, "think you could buy me a drink?"   
Makoto sighed.  
  
Relationship-highs seemed to have diminished Rei's aloofness and she could   
see that being serious was the last thing on Rei's mind. "You're turning   
out to be just like Minako-chan and Usagi-chan," Makoto complained as she   
reached into her jeans pocket and produced the little extra yen she had left.  
  
"No," Rei shook her head with a grin, "I'll pay you back, unlike those two   
baka atamas." To that, Makoto had to reluctantly agree but the sunny expression   
on Rei's face gave Makoto a prickling sensation that she couldn't quite identify.  
  
Plop, the can rolled out and Rei picked it up while Makoto opened her own   
with a click and a slight fizzling sound soon followed. "Ahh!" Makoto   
squeaked and nearly dropped her drink when Rei stood on tiptoes and touched   
the cold can to her forehead, "Dammit Rei-chan, what was that for?" The   
brunette glared at her friend as she loomed over the other who smiled at her   
innocently.  
  
"Just checking the temperature, Mako-chan," Rei replied before those   
dark-eyes grew serious and glanced over her shoulder at Hiketsu. "Ne,   
Mako-chan?"  
  
The three had settled on the side of the empty street as Rei sat on the   
ledge of the sidewalk, her long legs stretched in front of her and Hiketsu   
leaning against the light poll behind the miko, quietly letting her do the   
talking for now. Makoto took a sip of her soda as she sat on the ramp next   
to the street and peeked side-ways at her friend through her lashes, "What?"  
  
"Why are you mad at Hiketsu?" Click. Fizzle.  
  
Trust Rei to be blunt and to the point, Makoto thought wearily. Love   
certainly didn't get rid of that part of her personality. The question   
though, took her slightly off guard and she was uncomfortable confessing her   
feelings when the object of her enmity was standing but a few short yards   
away from her. "Hiketsu-san?" Makoto took another sip of her drink, trying   
to drag out more time for her to think.  
  
"You just seemed so much more easily angered in his presence," Rei said   
truthfully.  
  
"What do you mean?" Makoto demanded immediately, unable to help the sudden   
need to be on the defensive.  
  
"That's what I mean," Rei wiggled her index finger at her friend who   
covered her slightly gaping mouth. "You know, Mako-chan," Rei turned her   
head to her friend then. "The negative energy increases every time you get   
mad."  
  
Emerald eyes blinked, "You mean..." Makoto knew she was shaking her head,   
refusing to believe what the other was saying to her.  
  
"When Setsuna-san and Ami-chan destroyed the inner demon that possessed   
you, not all of the darkness was destroyed in your system." Rei explained.  
  
Makoto was silent as she tried, with difficulty to absorb the information.   
"Are you saying that I am still slightly possessed?" The brunette asked   
incredulously.  
  
"What Rei-chan is trying to say," Hiketsu cut in gently, "Is that while   
others may think you are just losing your temper unnaturally more than   
usual, in truth, it is just another show of your inner struggles with the   
darkness within yourself."  
  
Makoto blinked at this, "Mako-chan," Rei smiled at her kindly. "It isn't   
your fault, that's what Hiketsu is trying to say."  
  
"Are you just saying this to make me feel better?" Makoto asked angrily   
and then caught herself again. Why am I so angry all the time? I never   
used to be like this. I never lost control like that time when I lashed out   
at Hiketsu. Could it be that the demon inside is afraid of him since he was   
the one who subdued it last? That makes sense. Makoto reasoned with   
herself and felt the energy inside of her build slowly upon her confused   
emotions.  
  
"No, it's because you should know the truth." Rei looked at her then, "We   
all have the virus, you know?" Onyx eyes met emerald and then Rei smiled at   
her again, "We all have these demons inside of us, trying to take control of   
our thinking, our fighting, and our way of life. It's just that since you   
were the carrier, you have more of it."  
  
"Lucky me," Makoto muttered but she nodded reluctantly. "Is there...   
a way for me to fight it?"  
  
It was then that from the shadows, another stepped out. "There are   
actually two options that you can take."  
  
All three people turned to see Ami walk up to them with an apologetic smile   
on her face for startling everyone. "What do you mean, Ami-chan?" Makoto   
asked, being the first to recover.  
  
"Rei-chan can either give you an anti-evil scroll to put onto your body as   
a temporary solution, or, we could try another exorcism -- the permanent   
solution." Ami said as she sat on the ramp that Makoto was resting on, her   
back to the streets as she studied the shadows of the trees splayed out on   
the sidewalk.  
  
"But the exorcism will not only diminish your powers greatly but it will   
leave you weak," Rei provided helpfully. "So the best way to deal with   
this..."  
  
"...Is to give you an anti-evil scroll." Hiketsu finished.  
  
When the shock of it wore off, Makoto grinned at her friends slyly, "You   
two sound like a married couple," the brunette teased and to her delight,   
Rei blushed crimson while Hiketsu looked away, trying to hide his smile of   
amusement.  
  
"What the hell are you saying?" Rei demanded in such a way that Makoto   
could almost see the steam coming out of her ears.  
  
Ami cut in before the fighting could get out of hand, "Maybe you should   
give Mako-chan the anti-evil scroll, now."  
  
Rei sniffed haughtily before rising from her perch on the sidewalk and   
stomping over to Makoto. "Where would you like it to be?" Rei asked her   
impatiently. Makoto blinked at this uncertainly, "You know, where on your   
body would you like it to be?" Rei was still angry with her, that much   
Makoto could tell.  
  
"Certainly not my forehead," Makoto joked and received another glare from   
her dark-haired friend, "Somewhere under my uniform so that after I   
transform, the scroll would still be there, protected by my fuku." The   
brunette relented.  
  
Rei nodded in acknowledgement at this, "How about the heart?" Ami   
suggested with a thoughtful look on her face.  
  
"Very symbolic," Hiketsu smiled warmly with a nod of approval.  
  
"Good old heart it is," Makoto agreed as Rei sent her a questioning look.  
  
"We'll be a ways down," Hiketsu indicated the direction he was leaving in   
as Makoto began to unbutton her shirt. His back already turned, the blond   
man was walking away before he called over his shoulder, "Call me if you   
need anything!" Ami smiled at her friends before excusing herself and   
running to catch up with the departing Hiketsu, leaving the two women alone.  
  
Makoto flipped back her curling hair in annoyance before she decided to   
deftly put it back up into her usual ponytail. Rei studied her friend as   
the other returned to unbuttoning her shirt, "You ready for this?"  
  
"It's not like it's going to hurt, is it?" Makoto asked with a quirk of   
her brow as she paused at the last button.  
  
Rei shrugged, "It depends on the spirit, but usually no."  
  
Obviously the dark-haired girl was trying to be honest and reassuring at   
the same time. She wasn't very successful at it but Makoto couldn't   
complain too much, after all, Rei was trying to help. "Alright doctor,   
stick one on me!" She joked.  
  
Rei quirked a brow, before coughing a bit lightly behind her hand, "Bra."   
Looking at the piece of cotton material that Makoto wore.  
  
"Oh!" Makoto blinked before reaching to unclasp the front, "What   
a waste," she sighed dramatically. Rei walked before her with a questioning   
gaze, though slightly weary of the answer she would get. "I bet Haruka-san   
would have appreciated the view much more than you ever will!" Makoto   
finished with a wicked grin.  
  
"Yare yare," Rei answered wearily though she couldn't keep the amused grin   
off of her face. "Maybe you should be thankful for that, ne?" Rei gave her   
friend a pointed look as her smile became as weary as her voice.  
  
The smile on Makoto's face remained constant as Rei brought out a scroll,   
the other's gaze suddenly focusing on the small piece of paper. Onyx eyes   
closed in concentration, missing the sudden rapt expression on the   
brunette's face before Rei snapped them open to focus on the area of where   
Makoto's heart laid beating beneath her flesh, "Aku Ryo--"  
  
"I don't think this is going to work," the smiling Makoto said suddenly,   
cutting off Rei's chant.  
  
Blinking in surprise, onyx eyes looked up to meet Makoto's blank, emerald   
gaze. Rei did not like what she saw there in the least, "Why not?" Rei   
asked cautiously, slightly annoyed as she felt her hackles rise as the   
dark-haired woman gathered her miko powers in anticipation for the worst.  
  
"Ah ah ah," Makoto said cheerfully as she wiggled her index finger at the   
dark-haired priestess playfully. "Temper, temper, little miko." Makoto   
teased, "It isn't good for you, you know? After all, look where all that   
passion got her?" Her, strange that Makoto would refer to herself so.  
  
"Mako-" Rei gasped in shocked surprise as the same realization struck.   
Makoto's hand came forth in a fast grip just as Rei took a startled step   
back. It caught the front of Rei's red shirt instead of the other's   
throat, which the brunette was obviously aiming for before the miko had   
moved out of her grasp.  
  
"Shhh," Makoto put her chastising finger to her lips. "We wouldn't want to   
share our secret now, would we?"  
  
The brunette yanked harshly on the red material in her fist and the   
dark-haired woman felt the bite of the collar tighten around the back of her   
neck but refused to fall forward. Rei heard the tear in her clothing as she   
stepped back, fighting the forward momentum that threatened to make her   
loose her balance. "Dammit, that was one of my favorite shirts!" Rei   
snarled as she leapt back from Makoto's arching kick, sliding to a crouching   
stop in the middle of the empty road as Rei tried to put enough distance   
between them before she could strategize a way to finish the task she was   
handed to do.  
  
Makoto was no longer responding, and Rei saw the other getting ready to   
charge at her. Long strands of chestnut hair flew by her face as Rei slid   
her body sideways, onyx eyes narrowed in concentration as she saw the   
blankness in the other's dark-green depth. Makoto stumbled and then righted   
herself with a smirk, "Almost," the possessed woman said when both came to a   
stop and faced each other again. "But I'll get you next time. Maybe with a   
lightening bolt or two--" the arrogance seeped out of Makoto's mocking voice   
as the other suddenly stumbled. The brunette clutched onto her head with a   
low moan coming from deep within her throat, "Fucking get out of my body!"   
She growled out abruptly before the blankness returned to her eyes and   
Makoto lifted her head with an ugly leer stretching over her lips at the   
fast approaching Rei.  
  
The dark-haired miko took the opportunity opened to her as her friend   
battled with the darkness within. Chanting under her breath while Makoto   
swore and watching cautiously as the other's strong hands clamped over her   
head, Rei finished the words needed to dispel the evil spirit that rested   
within her friend. "Aku Ryo Tai San!"  
  
Green eyes looked up in a snarl as Rei lunged towards her, pale arm and   
fingers extended. Onyx eyes widened as the dark-haired girl came to a   
halting stop, inches from Makoto's throat. "Your aim's a bit off for the   
heart," Makoto sneered as her fist buried itself deeper into Rei's gut and   
eliciting a groan of pain from the other's lips. "Should have aimed for the   
head, little girl."  
  
The miko's lips curved into an ironic smile as her free hand clamped itself   
onto Makoto's arm, "That's what you think," Rei answered through her bared   
teeth, fighting the pain and the bile rising in her throat. Makoto raised a   
brow of surprised amusement but before she could speak, the dark-haired   
woman's hand fell with the pull of gravity -- though with a far more   
calculated precision -- and attached the small ofuda to the brunette's   
chest.  
  
Emerald eyes widened as the brunette's fist fell away and Rei landed in a   
heap at Makoto's feet. Once again clutching her head, Makoto shook it   
fiercely as if to shake something out of her system before she straightened   
again and looked around with confusion marring her face. "What... happened,   
Rei-chan?" Makoto asked the empty street before a groan brought her eyes to   
the dark-haired woman who lay slumped at her feet. Astonished at what   
she saw, Makoto collapsed onto her knees next to the crumbled form of the   
miko. Reaching out to her flinching friend, "You   
alright?" Makoto demanded as she helped Rei into a sitting position.  
  
Bruised and aching, Rei looked at her friend through slanted eyes that   
showed more humor than annoyance. "You sure throw one nasty punch,   
Mako-chan." Rei quipped sarcastically before she winced at her own attempts   
of straightening her body.  
  
Makoto smiled down at the other with a slight hint of amusement. "Nothing   
could keep you down, huh, Rei-chan?" The brunette raised a brow   
to see Rei shrug away her helping hand.  
  
Grumbling, the dark-haired woman glared at her through her bangs, "You owe   
me a shirt."  
  
Makoto blinked and looked at the torn, red shirt of Rei before a sheepish   
smile came over her face. "Did I do that?" She asked innocently.  
  
"Yes, Mako-chan." Rei answered wearily before a wicked grin came over   
Rei's usually stern features. "Too bad the view's wasted on you and not   
Haruka-san, ne?"  
  
Green eyes widened before an easy smile came over her lips, and knew she   
was forgiven of whatever it was that had happened. "You sure? Because I   
know a certain man named Hiketsu-san who will probably be a lot more   
grateful for the view than Haruka-san will ever be." Makoto teased.  
  
Rei laid a tentative hand over her stomach where a bruise was already   
beginning to show before raising a brow at her friend. "Are you talking   
about my Hiketsu, or do you mean Minako-chan's Fuma-san?"  
  
Makoto's grin widened at this, "My Hiketsu?" The brunette enjoyed watching   
the red that came over Rei's face at this slight slip as she helped her   
friend rise onto the other's unsteady feet. "My, aren't we getting   
possessive?"  
  
"Shut up, Mako-chan," Rei grumbled. "Because you're really tempting me to   
give you that black eye."  
  
Makoto shrugged but the triumphant smile did not leave her lips. "You want   
to call them back now?"  
  
"When I look like this?" Rei asked in startled surprise. "When you look   
like that?" Pointing at Makoto's exposed flesh.  
  
Makoto was reaching to clasp the loose ends of her bra to close it and was   
about to answer when her eyes paused at something that caught her eye, "Ne,   
Rei-chan?"  
  
The dark-haired woman looked at her suspiciously, as Rei put her hands on   
her hips in annoyance. "What is it now, Mako-chan?"  
  
"Is that a scroll I see under your bra?" Makoto pointed at the small white   
piece of paper under the cotton cloth that Rei wore.  
  
Rei blinked before a blush spread across her cheeks, "Well, I needed a   
quick fix to come and save you guys from the big, bad demons and all." Rei   
laughed sheepishly.  
  
"And who put that "quick fix" on you?" Makoto looked pointedly at her   
friend as a sly and knowing smile came over her lips.  
  
Rei's face was getting redder and redder by the minute, "It's not what you   
think," the dark-haired woman began as she desperately waved her hand in   
front of her, as if she could physically fend of her friend's teasing   
questions.  
  
A low, wolf-whistle interrupted the two women right then. Before long   
cries of indignation could be heard down the street. Loudest and clearest   
of them all was "Perverted bastard!" with each syllable stressed as two   
heads looked up startled.  
  
"You think those two are alright?" Ami asked with wide and worried blue   
eyes. Ami nodded slowly before glancing wearily over her shoulder where the   
sounds of an ensuing fight were still audible. "They sounded like they   
needed help a few moments ago? You sure we shouldn't go help them?"  
  
Hiketsu laughed, "Do I look blind enough to go near a half-dressed woman   
right now? And with Rei-chan there, as well?" He asked in a light,   
incredulous tone while the corners of his mouth lifted into a lopsided,   
boyish grin, "I'd be called a pervert first, a cheater second, get the life   
slapped out of me third, and then, I shudder at the thought of the place   
where I would probably end up!"  
  
"She is, technically, still your girlfriend," Ami tried hopefully. "What   
if she's in danger?"  
  
"And I am still a gentleman. I'm sure Rei-chan can handle whatever it is   
she is facing right now," Hiketsu replied with a confident smile. There was   
a gleam of contentment in his eyes at the mention of Rei being his   
girlfriend that did not go unnoticed, "If you want, you can always ask   
Mamoru-kun. Maybe he's gallant enough to try to foolishly tread where no   
sane man would dare to go, but I doubt that. Especially considering how   
Usagi-chan would take it if she ever caught wind of this. Fuma-san   
though, just might attempt this, knowing him." The last part was spoken   
wearily but the smile did not leave Hiketsu's face.  
  
"Did you mean it?" Ami asked after a silence came over them, one that   
strangers who had nothing to say to each other usually shared. "When you   
and Rei-chan said that we are all possessed by the darkness of this demon   
virus in some way, did you mean it?" Ami explained her question more   
thoroughly when she saw Hiketsu's raised brow of inquiry.  
  
The man looked thoughtful as he pondered out the right answer to Ami's   
question before a knowing smile came over his face, "Ah, the scientist of   
the group." Ami blushed at this, "Yes, I meant it." Hiketsu nodded and   
then glanced over to where Rei and Makoto were probably still arguing at   
this point in time. "There is something out there, you know, Ami-chan?   
Something the logical mind cannot explain," Ami began to protest but the   
look Hiketsu shot her silenced all of her arguments, "It is something the   
soul has trouble comprehending as well," she wasn't sure if he was trying to   
make her feel better by admitting his own inability to understand it. "It   
is Chaos."  
  
She blinked, at this, "The virus CHAOS?"  
  
"No, not the term you came up with for it," Hiketsu shook his head and that  
same ominous feeling came into Ami, washing over her with dread. "Chaos, the   
entity with no purpose and all purposes." Blue met blue as he studied her   
carefully, "The entity that cannot be understood and yet   
perfectly understandable, the darkest and brightest one of them all.   
Chaos."  
  
His words confounded her mind but in her heart, a shudder came and she   
could not shake off the cold feeling that weighed down her limbs under the   
setting rays of the sunlight evening. "I don't understand what you mean by   
that, Hiketsu-san," she murmured in confusion, her mind muddled but her   
heart beating strong and clear.  
  
"The world is ending as we speak, Ami-chan." And those words echoed in   
perfect sync with her terribly emotional heart as her mind grasped the   
terrible simplicity of it all.  
  
  
***  
  
  
They stood, two opposite sides facing each other, she watched him with   
those dead eyes while he watched her with his mechanical ones. "Why are you   
here?" Sailor Senshi Saturn asked, though she sounded neither intrigued or   
confused or even interested.  
  
"On my road to destiny," he replied.  
  
Ashes all around them, somewhere, she knew Uranus, Neptune and Pluto   
watched them with anticipation and interest. "Destiny leads only to Death,"   
she replied calmly.  
  
"Don't be stupid," he answered with equal calmness, "destiny leads to   
rebirth as well."  
  
An ironic smile came upon her lips, "There is no difference between the   
two." The darkness in her eyes flared up but he seemed unaffected by the   
change of powers in the atmosphere around them.  
  
"There is quite a difference," he looked into her eyes, wanting the truth.   
"What are you?"  
  
"Don't be rude," she answered coyly, "shouldn't that be a who?"  
  
"Don't play your silly games with me," his words were harsh but his tone of   
voice never changed.  
  
"Humans are such ugly beasts, wouldn't you agree?" she inquired in that   
innocent voice edging on destruction. There were gasps coming from her   
comrades, but she did not care. There was a long moment of silence though   
her eyes never left his, never looked down at the man he held in his arms.   
"They are filthy and have dirtied this Earth long enough. I had thought,   
for a long time, that there was hope for them because the Princess believed   
but I can see now that in the end, they are just what they have always been:   
Youma."  
  
From the corner of his eyes, Core could see Neptune and Uranus freeze at   
this but the woman who had long ago tried to destroy him and his sister, the   
Guardian Pluto, seemed to be not at all disturbed by   
this revelation, as if it had been expected. The girl-like figure before him   
had claimed Death and Rebirth in one breath and had he not gone back to his   
original form, he might have been unnerved about meeting a being such as   
herself.  
  
"That is why there is destiny, to create beautiful and ugly things." He   
answered at last as he turned his attention to the man in his arms, "To   
create balance where there may be nothing but emptiness."  
  
She laughed at his philosophy, yet it was not from contempt but real   
amusement, "Balance creates emptiness," she said. "Destiny creates more   
than just beauty and ugliness, destiny brings betrayal and anger, hatred and   
greed, love and sacrifices; destiny brings in all things as does life.   
There is still, one true destiny for Man and that is death and destruction."  
  
"Funny how you are the self-proclaimed avatar, sworn to save them." He   
mused out loud, the irony not missing in his voice. Had she not been what   
she was, she might have been insulted by such a tone. But the Senshi Saturn   
did not care for what this alien before her felt nor was she burned by his   
scorn, it did not jar her any more than her mirth at his philosophy.  
  
She tilted her head at this, as if interested at what he had brought up, as   
if the thought had never even occurred to her. Blinking slowly, she seemed   
to have processed the idea in her head before a slow smile came over her   
lips when she had found the answer she was looking for, "No one is sworn to   
protect this place. Just because the Princess loves her Prince does not   
mean her guardians must protect what is not hers to claim. A man is a man,   
free from all things, born alone and dies alone. The Prince is a man and he   
is free. My duty to this place is no more than your duty to this place,   
it just happens that our path to destiny crosses here but our dreams are   
different, our hopes are different, and thus, so are our goals."  
  
"Pity I will have to kill you someday," Core was smiling when those words   
rolled out smoothly from his lips. Uranus rose at this angrily, wanting to   
defend the woman who wore the face of her daughter, the woman who laughed   
with the voice of her daughter and the woman who was a comrade at arms.   
Pluto gripped Uranus' arm and shook her head slowly when the other turned to   
glare at her. Neptune sat, shocked into silence by what Saturn was saying   
in that beguiling voice, filled with innocence and darkness all at once.  
  
"Pity? I cannot say the feeling is mutual." Saturn leaned against her   
staff, almost seductive yet not, almost a child and almost a woman, she was   
almost so many things but at the same time none of them, as well. Dark eyes   
peered out into the world, cold and calculating. "Why should we dally here   
any longer? You seem so eager to meet your own end." Saturn smile widened   
at this in almost a ferocious grin, baring her teeth in a savage flash of   
white like the shine of her deadly blade.  
  
"I am not Man," he answered but turned to the twin helicopters resting in   
the clearing, hidden by rubble. "I do not have a care for Death as long as   
my race survives. Individuals are nothing without a cause, wouldn't you   
agree, stranger?"  
  
Pallid skin and long lashes fluttered before Saturn opened her eyes again   
and tilted her head ever so slowly to regard her companion.   
"Individuals, races, and lives, they are all nothing and everything. We are   
all a part of Chaos and not. What you seek, you will not find here, Core   
26085."  
  
He met her gaze steadily, "Perhaps the same goes for both of us hmm, Sailor   
Senshi Saturn?"  
  
To his challenge she only smiled, the smile that one gives to someone   
already dead. It was a smile between compassion and cruelty, the smile of   
child with the powers of a god.  
  
  
***  
  
  
*I was born in a place Man's tongue will never be able to pronounce. In a   
galaxy several decades beyond the reach of a human hand, even if he were to   
travel at the speed of light in an attempt to reach it. It was once a   
beautiful place of steel and liquid, golden skies and three revolving   
satellites.*  
  
Around them the spires rose and technology that man had never even dreamt   
of came and went in the blink of an eye as he stood silently next to her,   
trying to absorb all that she had lived through and all that she was   
introducing to him. *It was my home for seven hundred,   
twenty-six years, fifty days, four hours, ten minutes and thirty-three   
seconds, by human time. I remembered the way I felt when they sent me on   
the exiled ship, framed for a crime I had never committed. I had watched   
helplessly as my supporters and I stood on deck, knowing that the tyrant who   
had rid himself of my presence would now make his move and when we made the   
third orbit around the planet before hyper-jump, war began below us. It was   
the last time I saw the place of my birth. In fact, we almost didn't make   
it. Core 980, my second pure son, sacrificed himself so that the weapon   
sent to track us down would kill him instead. It was the worst century   
of my life as we drifted aimlessly in space during those harsh years,   
homeless, and severed completely from my people; I experienced despair for   
the first time in my existence. I had to learn to deal with the treachery   
wrought onto me, a treachery that the silent estrangement of exile seemed to   
follow.  
  
Yet, I was unharmed and many of my children and many of those who shared my   
components and thoughts had joined me -- most willingly and some forcefully   
-- as we journeyed across the universe. Drifting farther and farther from   
home, we learned to live on our own, correcting our own components to deal   
with the harshness of space life, to deal with the loss of information   
gathering as we learned new methods to gather raw data from the passing   
stars and galaxies. My eldest son gave himself up first to me, so that I   
could be the most independent unit in the family and as Vastra 75, an old   
prototype with wiser fingers than anyone I have ever known, installed Core   
0002 into myself, I wept for the first time in my long life. We, of the   
new-prototype did not fall into such emotional displays so easily, but I   
could not help but feel the added emotion of losing my second son, of losing   
my home, and then losing my eldest, my longest and most loyal of all my   
children.  
  
Through it all, Vastra 75 stayed by me. Maybe my tears fascinated him, for   
old prototypes like himself still had trouble expressing such depth of   
emotion that were caused by real pain and not imitation of what pain should   
be like. You could say that our place and our people had been, once, like   
Earth. But we evolved and changed. The home we came to know was now   
populated with a new species created by our ancestors' very hands, a species   
that Man has never known and hopefully, will never know.*  
  
The stars passed by them, galaxy-by-galaxy, planet-by-planet,   
asteroid-by-asteroid, and dust-by-dust. Mapped out in perfect memory,   
recorded, logged and safely kept away for future inspection if needed.  
  
*Life was hard and we survived by sometimes pirating of other species   
in the universe, raiding and the like. It seemed hopeless that we would   
ever find a new base, or a place primitive enough to accept us so that we   
could start anew, build a new home. Yet, everywhere we went, we were   
considered hostile invaders or easy victims, and for another two decades we   
hunted and were hunted in return. At last, we came here, this little   
rural place on the edge of the universe, following the distinct line of   
residue of power that lingered at the destruction of many things and beings.   
We had hoped that this was no more than a graveyard, for the power we   
caught wind of reeked of death. But we found humans, weak but alive,   
surviving day by day like us only they were so primitive that we could not   
fathom living with the likes of them. They could not even detect our   
presence much less chase us away, and so we stayed and for thirteen years I   
was truly happy.*  
  
The planet he had always called home seemed so foreign to him now. The old   
Earth, lush and green, filled with rivers, valleys and very little   
civilization. At least not the civilization that he had come to know, one   
that bustled and hurried on in its lonesome way, those types of men and   
women were not here, anyway. He was unaccustomed to the lazy air all around   
them and wary of the strong smell of earth and forest and sky. She,   
though, seemed to be like a traveler who had returned to a small bit   
of paradise lost, her hair blowing in the winds of memory, her eyes   
caressing the long lost hills and mountains in the distance.  
  
*But happiness eluded me again when she came,* and the face of a warrior   
appeared before him, cold and merciless. *She killed every one of us,   
working from the outside of what she called "the hive", our home, and   
steadily burrowed her way into the heart of where we lived, eradicating   
all in her wake. Vastra 75 did everything in his powers first to   
outsmart her, then to stop her, and finally to prevent her from slaughtering   
us all, all at the cost of his own life and the lives of my children. He   
was my oldest friend, loyal to the very core of his being. He was a good   
advisor, maybe even what humans might have considered a father, and he gave   
me his precious, unattainable hands before he died.*  
  
Dale turned to her as she looked down at her own hands. A lab sprung up   
around them with three tubes in the center of the metallic room. The clear   
glass-like walls of the tubes revealed the foggy liquid, two held the   
distorted images of human figures, one in each container. The forms   
of a man and a woman, both seemingly asleep and unaware. There was a third   
container, seemingly empty of contents while a metallic being worked around   
the tubes in the room, coming back and forth as it busily went about on some   
unknown but pressing duty. Somewhere, in the distance, he heard the   
clashing of powers coming from behind the door to his right.  
  
Having studied his new surroundings, Dale turned to the woman who brought   
him here, wanting to know what was the purpose of her showing all of this to   
him. Did she wish for him to understand her better? Perhaps she wanted him   
to realize her true goals, and what he was, and had been fighting for. Or   
maybe, she wanted him to know, to show him the humanity that he had always   
assumed she lacked because she was made of metal and not flesh and   
bones. Black curls obstructed his view of her face when he glanced over to   
her, but he blinked in surprise when he saw a single tear fall onto the palm   
of her opened hands.  
  
"You could cry," he spoke and the wonder in his voice made her laugh almost   
bitterly.  
  
"Did you not believe me when I told you?" She asked. "I am your creator,   
what humans would call a mother. I am the original prototype, and if you   
could cry did you think that I could not?"  
  
He blinked.  
  
Mother?  
  
A woman with dark-emerald hair, dressed in a white body suit and short,   
pleated skirt burst through the door in that moment, barging into the room   
as she skillfully wielded a magnificent staff. The intruder's eyes glowed   
eerily red as she stared at the metallic being that the woman next to him   
called Vastra 75. It was then he saw that the metallic being had no hands.   
There were just wires hooked up to the machine and then a voice, old and new   
rang over the room of the past.  
  
*You will never win, Guardian Pluto.*  
  
The room was washed in purple light as the powerful attack disintegrated   
everything, shattering the tubes and turning the machine called Vastra 75   
into nothing but ashes. The woman he now know as Alyssa rose naked from the   
broken contents of her tube, black curls damp with the liquid she was   
submerged in before as she looked up first confused and then realization   
came as she faced her enemy bravely, an enemy she had never seen before or   
even known the existence of, an enemy that she was retaliating against for   
her very survival.  
  
In a way he felt her anger and her shame, felt and knew the realization   
that here was someone beside him who was used to such treachery; someone who   
had faced destruction simply for being and not for anything else.  
  
*"Intruder of Earth, you shall die." The Guardian Pluto uttered, her eyes   
blazing in that color crimson, utterly cold and frighteningly menacing.  
  
"I will not die now!" Alyssa pushed herself unsteadily onto her feet,   
awkwardly looking down at her hands as realization struck her fully. "You   
killed them all!" Wide-eyed accusations and undisguised hatred was apparent   
as she faced down her enemy's disapproving frown.  
  
"You do not belong here, I shall not allow you to ruin the future that I   
have planned." Pluto replied, her eyes never wavering from the   
determination set upon her face.  
  
"You killed my people!" Alyssa's powers roared through her, startling her   
in their intensity and she realized then that this was what Vastra 75 had   
promised her before he died. This power of survival was what he had given   
to her as his parting gift.  
  
"You have no right to be here," Pluto growled, immediately on the   
defensive.  
  
They fought, and it was clear that Alyssa did not have the upper hand since   
she was not yet close to her true strength having only just been awakened.   
Somehow she kept herself from being destroyed by the Guardian Pluto. While   
defending herself from the other without any armor or even clothing to   
protect herself, she happened to stumble over more rubble, no it was not   
rubble but another body. Alyssa gaped, "Core!"  
  
Her brother woke and hands reached for each other and in that moment, she   
faced the woman who hunted them. "We will not lose!" Core spoke for her.  
  
Alyssa's eyes riveted to the shattered remains of the third tube and   
reached, her mind commanding forth what was her own. "Child." She smiled   
but the smile disappeared as the Guardian Pluto realized what she had meant   
and raced, snatching up the circuit like board that was racing towards its   
creator's calling.*  
  
The woman Dale knew as Alyssa was screaming in her past.  
  
Her child...  
  
"Yes, Dale, you are my child."  
  
She touched her hand to his and her footing shifted as she laid her head on   
his shoulder, a contented sigh escaping her lips. A connection was   
uncovered in that moment, a connection he had never known the existence of   
came back to haunt him in that moment and he looked down at the woman who   
was his creator.  
  
"What do we do now?" He asked.  
  
"Core is coming home," she answered, her eyes closed in a peaceful   
expression. It was a new discovery for him, every moment in her presence   
made him realize exactly how alive this machine was, and how much she had felt   
in her centuries of existence.  
  
"Home?"  
  
She smiled, "Yes, our new home. Our paradise."  
  
Dale was silent as he looked at the rubble of the bitter past. Looked at   
his own beginnings and remembered the people that populated his life, coming   
and going. People he had called parents, people that he had called friends   
and colleagues. In that moment he wondered if he had ever loved them, if he   
would have done all that this woman next to him had done for him and all   
those who had cared for her had done for her, just to see her happy and   
alive.  
  
"How do you know that the paradise we seek won't just become another's   
hell?" He asked at last, remembering Michaels. Michaels he did love,   
Michaels who believed this woman next to him so much, Michaels who had died   
protecting this land and his people.  
  
"You want to know if I loved him, don't you?" Alyssa pulled away from him,   
yet their new connection did not lessen, but strengthened with each passing   
moment. He was having difficulty dealing with this sudden need to comply to   
her every whim and fulfill her every desire.  
  
"In the pursuit for happiness, human beings came to believe that love would   
bring to them all that they desire in life's joys. They seek to gain this   
happiness they so crave," Dale looked intently at her. "Did you ever feel   
this joy?"  
  
"No," she answered as she looked at him. "Love is human's way of appeasing   
their intellect while they try to give meaning to mating and reproducing,   
trying to find something deeper than the simple façade of survival and life.   
They use it and abuse it to explain away their own guilt when they break   
someone else's heart in search of a stronger mate, when they feel jealous or   
possessive when they revert back to the primitive." Her eyes narrowed   
angrily as she raised her head to that invisible sky of a time forgotten.   
"There is no such thing as love."  
  
"Michaels died for love," Dale said slowly. "He died for his love for you   
and for me, and for this planet you so hate."  
  
"I don't hate this planet," she looked to him with her eyes now filled with   
sadness, an emotion that Man would never have thought a machine could feel.   
Imitation or not, Dale realized, pain was pain. When felt it is, in   
essence, the same basic emotion. "Perhaps you are right, perhaps there is   
an emotion that is like love, but the majority of human beings are too weak   
and too selfish to handle such responsibilities."  
  
"Alyssa," she turned to him and knew his reluctance to call her mother.   
The sensations and realizations were still new to him and for some reason,   
it hurt to know this. Was this what humans called love, this pain?  
  
"There is only pain in life," she said. "And triumph. Those things are   
real, love is just a hypothesis that has never been clearly proven."  
  
"Pain," he smiled, "Love is pain because love is reality." Alyssa looked   
at him wide-eyed, surprise written on her features. Another expression he   
would never have thought he would ever bear witness to,   
"Michaels liked to say that a lot." He admitted sheepishly.  
  
There was a smile on her face as she tilted her head in thought, "Oh?" She   
reached out her hand to him again, like she had done so before when she   
wanted to show him the truth of herself and her past.  
  
"He made me want to believe in this love," he said as his hand touched her   
own.  
  
"Open your eyes," she instructed as she studied him intently through her   
long, dark lashes. And in the whisper of his mind just before waking, he   
heard the echo of her voice in his mind, reluctantly admitting to how much   
Michaels, the man, had changed her as well.  
  
Every moment with her was making him more aware of the truth that his   
partner spoke in those days lost forever to time. The truth that Alyssa --   
his mother and his creator -- was all too human on the inside.  
  
*He made me want to believe in this love as well.*  
  
It was those words that awoke him.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Neptune was having a bad day. Too many surprises occurred that even with   
her mirror, there had been nothing that could have   
prepared her for what was awaiting her at the end of the long road they   
had taken. Seeing it and living it had been two different things, not that   
she had seen much to begin with.  
  
At first she had thought that they would wonder so that they could discover   
the true face of their enemy, it was the impression that the mirror gave   
when she had stared at it in the darkness of her room so long ago. How many   
days had passed? How many weeks? It had felt like years since she had   
received the wounds that a possessed Sailor Jupiter inflicted upon her,   
years since she last had seen the accepting smile on her princess's face, and   
years since she had seen the innocent eyes of Hotaru. Those shining eyes of   
a curious and intelligent child turning to her for guidance, calling her   
Michiru-mama with that voice so similar and yet, so utterly different now.   
How long had it been since Hotaru had grown too tall and heavy to pick up?   
How long had it been since she went to shop for tiny, girlish dresses and   
giggled over Haruka's total bewilderment at the tiny boys who would tease   
and poke at her adopted daughter, too shy to be nice and too arrogant to   
admit they thought she was adorable? It had been too long, Michiru admitted   
now. So long that she wondered if she would ever be able to go back to   
those days of peace and quiet joy. What happened to those long summer   
nights spent, sitting on the swings in the park and watching the sunset   
while Hotaru played in the sandbox with her new friends? Those lost days of   
innocence.  
  
"Let's get out of here," Uranus' weary voice snapped her out of her trance   
and she nodded reluctantly, rising to her feet.  
  
Saturn had skipped ahead of them, her actions filled with that fighting   
grace that Neptune wasn't sure if she should be proud of or horrified by. Pluto   
lagged behind as they neared the choppers, looking wearily over her shoulder   
to check to see if Core was following them.  
  
Neptune's hand grasped onto Uranus' arm and she called out to Saturn who   
paused but did not head back to them. "This place," Neptune whispered   
hoarsely, "this place is filled with youma energy."  
  
Sailor Pluto stepped up to her and looked worriedly at her pale face as   
Uranus scanned their surroundings. "I don't see anything," the sandy-blond   
growled anxiously.  
  
Beneath one of the choppers a black whirl of darkness came and Saturn   
turned to it in that moment with her dark eyes indifferent. White and   
purple whirled as Neptune froze, as did Uranus and Pluto, watching the girl   
bound over onto the helicopter that still rested safely a few meters away   
from its sister, untouched and unharmed. The engine started and Saturn   
maneuvered the air-bound vehicle towards them. Pluto leapt up climbed in   
and it took some adjusting as Saturn and she switched places.  
  
Saturn looked over and beckoned Core 26085 to join her and he walked the   
last few feet to stand next to Neptune and Uranus before he leapt up as   
well. Saturn pulled him in as soon as he was in arms reach and looked down   
at the two women below them. "Come," she said to them as Uranus threw an   
arm over Neptune's shoulder and nudged her partner with a wink.  
  
"Think we should join them?" The sandy-blonde asked with a grin.  
  
"Fuel first, extra passengers later." Neptune replied with equal   
playfulness.  
  
"I think they have just enough to carry the cargo home," Uranus indicated   
Core in the back with a toss of her hair and a grin that could not hide the   
sadness in her eyes.  
  
Neptune returned the smile before looking up and waving. "We'll catch the   
express way home," she called out.  
  
For a moment Pluto looked down at them, but Uranus shook her   
head. "Even if I didn't know the future, Setsuna," she mouthed as she   
tapped her temple with one gloved hand, "I know that when I came I wouldn't   
be going back."  
  
"Not even for the princess?" Pluto widened her eyes as the air was filled   
with the sound of the chopper's engine and the black mass that ate away at   
Neptune and Uranus' transportation, grew. Darkness fell over the city   
as Pluto looked down with eyes, pleading for her friends to   
follow.  
  
"We'll teleport back," Uranus lied smoothly. "Anyway, who would want to   
miss out on this much fun, ne?" The sandy-blonde turned her face away to   
Neptune who nestled into her arms, hiding the sadness in her eyes.  
  
Saturn was silent as she studied the people that the girl she once was,   
loved. "Let's go," she finally said. "This is the grave they have chosen,   
this is the consequences you must all face for the decisions you have made   
in your search for destiny."  
  
Pluto shook her head with tears in her eyes as she pulled the chopper away,   
directing the craft higher and higher into the air. Halfway through she was   
tempted to turn back as Neptune blew them a kiss and Uranus slyly waved them   
away, as if the two were not concerned for what was to come. Pluto saw   
Neptune reaching for her lover tentatively, words moving on those coral   
lips, eyes trained still on the helicopter that flew further and further   
away. They never touched because Uranus replied something in return and   
Neptune pulled her hand away at the last minute. "Sacrifices must be made,"   
Core mocked in the back. "Isn't that what you told me those years ago when   
you directed me from my sister's grasp?"  
  
"Shut up," Pluto muttered as she stalwartly continued onwards, widening the   
gap between herself and the two people she had come to regard as her closest   
friends. "Just, shut the fuck up." Years of repressed guilt, sorrow, pain   
and loneliness came over the woman. For a moment she contemplated crashing   
the damn thing and ending every single one of their miserable lives.  
  
"Don't even think about it," Saturn told her, her face composed without   
sorrow and without regret. In that moment, Pluto almost hated her and a   
small part of herself was afraid for and of Saturn, as well. She hated that   
part of herself all the more for the feelings coursing throughout her.   
Hated how things had turned out, how it had made Saturn into such a cold and   
unfeeling doll. And hated how she was losing the control she was so used to   
having over herself and the situation.  
  
She was the infamous Sailor Senshi Pluto, she should have been impervious   
to these feelings by now. As Core 26085 had pointed out, sacrifices must be   
made. It had been her favorite motto for some time now, hadn't it? When   
did that change? Had the princess and her friends affect her this much? In   
that moment she almost regretted that she had a heart, regretted that she   
couldn't turn her emotions on and off like Saturn seemed to do so easily   
now.  
  
Below them the darkness gathered and drowned out the city. Somewhere,   
Neptune and Uranus were fighting a losing battle and dying for the future.   
Somewhere, inside of Pluto, someone that she had forgotten long ago was   
crying at the loss of her comrades, her sisters.  
  
Somewhere destiny was waiting for them to arrive.  
  
Pluto looked on with dry eyes, not even a touch of moisture on her cheeks   
as the chopper headed back to Japan. And in that moment she realized how   
much she really hated her day job.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Minako really wanted, more than anything at the time, for her boyfriend to   
be a real, solid man. Hopefully, as an added bonus, a man with a lot of   
nerve-endings! Not because she wished that they could have a real, physical   
relationship -- though she had wished that not too long ago -- but at this   
particular moment, she really, truly, desperately wanted to beat him up.   
And she wasn't alone in her wish to cause the blond-haired man next to her   
some serious, grievous pain, either.  
  
Both Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter were glaring daggers at the grinning   
Fuma as Hiketsu wearily stood next to the dark-haired senshi. Not that   
Hiketsu approved of what had happened, but it would not help if he had   
stated that he had suspected the inevitable since neither Mars nor Jupiter   
were very receptive to logical reasoning at the time, or even now.   
  
As Mars should have realized, no matter how much Minako was infatuated with   
her new boyfriend and no matter how much he returned her infatuation, the   
two were sneaky and noisy little spies, filled with enough curiosity to kill   
all the cats in the world. What she did not anticipate, nor did Jupiter   
even suspect at the time, was that they would show up to spy -- or as they   
put it mildly "walking by" -- at the exact moment she and Jupiter had just   
finished their fight and were then less than adequately clothed.  
  
The wolf-whistle from Fuma had been the high point of the two girls' weary   
ending to a literally, hands on battle for purification and the low point   
was when he encouraged the two fuming senshi to rip off more of their   
clothes when they paused to look at him in embarrassed amazement. The   
"kinky" comment did not go overly well with either, nor did it go very well   
with Minako, who had been laughing at her friends up to the point when Fuma   
opened his big mouth.  
  
Had Fuma been a real man, as in a three-dimensional male with a solid form,   
he would have been beaten, fried, and roasted in five seconds flat, not to   
mention, probably whipped into shape. And after that, he would have had to   
endure Minako's torturous nursing skills as she mourned over her "mistake",   
an act that would have killed him had he not already been dead. Luckily,   
Fuma was not a three-dimensional, solidly formed and feeling man, he was   
also, unfortunately for the girls, not a very moral gentleman like Hiketsu   
nor was he a prudent man like Mamoru. Instead, Fuma was somewhat of a   
lecher. Only his boy-crazy girlfriend whose favorite magical weapon was,   
ironically, a whip, reined in his nature.  
  
Fuma was pouting. And it was not because Minako wanted to pound him to the   
ground but because, "There just wasn't enough of a show of skin!"  
  
Minako whacked him on the shoulder only to have her hand go right through   
his arm. "Kuso," the blonde swore again in agitation since having   
discovered that whenever she tried to physically harm him, Fuma's   
holographic form became like that of a ghost, nothing solid to help vent her   
anger out on. Instead, a poor and hapless soda can that just happened to be   
in the middle of the sidewalk received Minako's anger-filled kick, sending   
the object to smack right into Usagi's unsuspecting face.  
  
Their blonde princess didn't even have time to wail before she went down   
like a sack of potatoes and instead, it was their leader who squeaked in   
shock as she raced to Usagi's side, apologizing repeatedly to her   
unconscious friend and ward while clumsily attempting to shake the   
odango-blonde back to life. "Minako-chan," Ami sighed wearily as Mamoru   
tried his best to restrain the frantic blonde in an attempt to save his   
girlfriend's remaining grey matter that still resided in that unconscious   
odango head of hers. "You might give Usagi-chan brain damage if you   
continue to shake her like that." The blue-haired woman commented dryly.  
  
Minako gaped and dropped Usagi as if the other were on fire with a   
sheepish smile, sending the boneless, heap of a girl to fall with a thud   
onto the cement sidewalk, again. Mamoru grimaced, picked Usagi up into his   
arms and well out of Minako's reach before he began to carefully check to   
see if she was alright and what new bruises and aches the poor girl would   
find herself having once she did wake up.  
  
Forgetting their earlier anger at Fuma for the moment, Mars and Jupiter   
rushed to Minako's side to check on their unfortunate princess and friend.   
Sailor Mars rested a weary hand on the guilty looking blonde's shoulder as   
both women, in their senshi fuku, sighed in exasperation at the sight.   
"Should have known," Sailor Jupiter muttered.  
  
"Didn't even need a vision for that one," Mars agreed.  
  
Hiketsu stood beside the grinning Fuma who was practically leering at Mars   
and Jupiter, "You could at least try to act like you didn't see anything,"   
Hiketsu rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly before reaching into his   
pocket and producing a pair of small, tinted lenses.  
  
"Give me a break will you?" Fuma laughed, "Just because I saw more than   
you have of what your girlfriend has to offer -- and might I say that she   
has a lot to offer -- doesn't mean I have to be considerate about your   
feelings and not--"  
  
"Gloat about it?" Hiketsu asked wearily. If Fuma had been a solid man, he   
would have had at least one of his arms broken by now, but Hiketsu was a   
patient man who did not express his annoyance as much as Rei was prone to   
do. Instead he would wait for the day that Fuma regained his body again,   
which Hiketsu was sure fate had in store for the idiot, and break the guy's   
arms then. After all, Hiketsu had a long memory. He would not forgt this day.   
And when the time came he would exact his vengeance regardless   
of the fact that this was Rei's best-friend's boyfriend, and mayhap somewhat   
more in the future. He was sure, if reminded, Aino Minako would   
encourage the act once the other did regain his body. In fact, as the day   
wore on, Hiketsu was seriously hoping to the gods that Fuma still had a body   
to go back to and was, in fact, looking forward to that coming day with   
great anticipation.  
  
"You are such a Spartan," Fuma rolled his eyes and waved his hand in front   
of Hiketsu's face, much to the younger man's annoyance.  
  
"No," Hiketsu replied slowly, "I am a living, breathing man and I would   
like to remain so. Anyway, I would not look elsewhere since I   
already have someone I care for. Minako-san may not be able to hurt you   
physically, but that will not mean she won't stop trying to punish you,   
period. A woman is a dangerous being to anger."  
  
Wise words that fell onto deaf ears, for Fuma huffed at this. "She can't   
do anything to me," the blond denied and Hiketsu cocluded that the   
other was also in the denial stage of the relationship. Shrugging and not   
really caring about Fuma's welfare, Hiketsu headed for Mars and gently   
pulled her away from her friends and into his arms. The action caught the   
woman warrior off guard, and she blushed as Jupiter cast her a sly glance   
and Minako began to open her mouth to tease.  
  
"I've thought it through," Ami suddenly cut in before anyone could speak.   
Usagi groaned and was coming back into consciousness by then, and Mamoru   
quickly hushed her before she could even begin to wail.   
"Whoever our enemies are, we best assume the worst." All of the women   
became serious at this and nodded intently at what Ami had to suggest,   
thinking over her words so they could come up with their own conclusions on   
how to best deal with the situation.  
  
Minako got everyone's attention into gearing for a way to solve whatever   
problems the enemy might throw at them. Her command was obvious and Fuma   
noticed that when the girl wasn't acting silly, she exuded an aura of power   
that was certainly to be contended with. "Wow," Fuma sighed as he sat   
cross-legged in the air, levitating off of the ground as he watched his   
girlfriend in awe. "That is some woman I'm dating!"  
  
If Minako had heard, the meeting might have had a temporary interruption of   
squeals and giggles, but luckily for them all, the blonde, as did the rest   
of her friends, did not catch Fuma's admiring words. There was a   
seriousness that came over his face as he analyzed the plan Mizuno Ami --   
the girl he was instructed to watch -- came up with as she went over every   
detail of her battle arrangement, which had been discussed earlier with the   
cats.  
  
Once in awhile, Minako would interrupt or one of the others would add in   
suggestions but in the end, it was ironed out that they would have to split   
up into teams. If they had to take on the city and reach their destination   
in time, they would have to fight first as a whole and then rely on the few   
they were instructed to stay with. Ami had analyzed each of their   
powers, trying to figure out the best combination of both the defensive and   
offensive, as well as whose powers were better amplified by whose.  
  
"Fuma-san," Ami looked at him inquiringly. "You are our greatest advantage   
because our enemies cannot touch you."  
  
He nodded at this in understanding, "You want me to scout out the   
territory, figure out what's going on and then inform you of missed   
anomalies, correct?"  
  
"Y-yes," Ami blinked surprise at his observations.  
  
"What?" Fuma looked insulted as everyone also looked at him in supise.   
"So I'm not a gentleman," he admitted but the grin came back even as Mars   
and Jupiter glared at him again. "That doesn't mean I'm stupid!"  
  
"Oh, if only he was a solid man!" Mars muttered as Hiketsu chuckled into   
her hair next to her. Jupiter cracked her knuckles, not needing to voice   
her blatant agreement. Minako grinned at this, ideas obviously running   
through her mind as new plans on what to do with her boyfriend, since she   
couldn't beat him up, began to present itself on many different levels and   
degrees of painfulness.  
  
Ami cleared her throat and they went back to strategizing, giving everyone   
their roles in the last play that could determine their lives and the future   
of Earth as a whole. Storing the information as they conversed back and   
forth, Ami unconsciously tugged at her earrings where a single bit of   
pressure would allow her visor to come across her eyes and hide her mind   
from her friends in her analysis of their situation. The security it   
provided tempted her shy and insecure mind but she stopped tugging once they   
settled into an agreement. "It's not a full-proof plan," she admitted   
halfway through their discussion. "But with the little that we know, it is   
the best I can do."  
  
Everybody seemed satisfied with the little that they could come up with,   
but it did not escape Minako's notice how Ami had pulled at her ear nor   
did she miss the guilty frown as the blue-haired woman studied her   
mini-computer when the attention was directed away from her. "It doesn't   
matter how ready we are for this," Minako cut in as she focused on Ami even   
when all eyes turned to her. It was time she resumed her duties as the   
leader, Minako thought as she commanded the attention of her genius friend,   
"We would never be ready for this."  
  
Hiketsu smiled sadly in acknowledgment of the bitter truth in those words,   
as his grip tightened around Rei and the woman in his arms looked   
equally resigned as she remembered her lessons during her youth. They had   
long been taught about parting the veils of the future to see the images of   
things that could and could not be changed. Even if Man were able to see   
all of his battles he would still have little choice in the matter, he could   
not know what results each action, intended or not, could bring and how   
it would tie up with his ultimate destiny in the end.  
  
However, Ami bowed her head. Confused and wondering   
what her friend had meant by those words, she processed the information and   
tried to make sense of it to her current situation. "Ami-chan," Usagi   
smiled as she rubbed her head while she rose unsteadily onto her feet and   
threw a clumsy arm around Ami's shoulder. "What you are giving us is good   
enough," the princess assuerd as Minako and everyone else smiled   
encouragingly at the blue-haired woman.  
  
"I hope your right, Usagi-chan." Ami consented, her voice uncertain as she   
admitted defeat. It was enough for now, Minako amended, though slightly   
disappointed that it was not the success that she was aiming for. It was   
just enough for now.  
  
Ami looked at the sky as she gave her earring that one final tug, signaling   
her choice in the matter. The blue-haired woman had no problem   
comprehending what Minako was implying but she had always believed in a   
certain type of control in her work. Most things, she believed, one could   
prepare for like one prepares for a test. After all, isn't life one giant   
test with problems and obstacles to be puzzled out, proven and then solved?   
Her eyes scanned the skies for she did not want to face her friends, the   
little beeping at her ear made her frown at the red clouds of the setting   
sun--  
  
Wait, what time is it anyway? She saw the time pop up on her screen. It   
was 7:46:53 PM the computer reported and she froze. This was winter, the   
weather had been unnaturally warmer than most Tokyo winters but what worried   
her was not that. Sure, sometimes the weather could be really unpredictable   
but the Earth still turned the same way and that meant that it should have   
been dark by now. How long had the sky been this color?  
  
"Is it just me or has the sun been setting for an awfully long time?"   
Fuma mused as he levitated in the air, a quizzical expression on his face.   
"It should be dark by now, shouldn't it?"  
  
"Ami-chan?" Minako had turned to her immediately for more information but   
the blue-haired woman was way beyond that by now. Ami had already started a   
full analysis before the question had even left Fuma's lips.  
  
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Jupiter muttered as her gloved fingers   
rubbed against her temple.  
  
"I definitely did not need any psychic mystic to tell me that," Mars   
muttered and Hiketsu smiled as he held her closer to him.  
  
"You're tired," he whispered into her hair.  
  
"I know," she replied, her head lying against his shoulder.  
  
"You should have been resting instead of fighting," he scolded her lightly.  
  
"It was worth it," she smiled as she turned her head and rested her cheek   
against his temple, letting his scent encircle her senses so that she   
could ignore the sickening feeling at the pit of her stomach.  
  
"The cleansing is wearing off," the way he said it was almost casual.  
  
"That's what I'm afraid of," she closed her eyes before opening them again   
to see the red sky overhead. "It's almost like its dyed in blood." Her   
voice was so soft that he almost didn't hear her say such an ominous thing.  
  
"Aa," he let her lean against him to give her as much last minute   
relaxation as he could possibly provide. "But crimson could be just what we   
need for luck."  
  
Her lips curved at this, "Let's just hope it's luck for us."  
  
Hiketsu raised his head as Rei leaned back against him, sharing this moment   
as they both looked to the eerie sky overhead. He frowned at the view   
overhead, for who could say that it wasn't blood that dyed the sky in such a   
shade of foreboding, as if warning them of a most unexpected end.  
  
"Min'na," Ami's voice came in that moment, grim and serious. "I've got   
some very bad news."  
  
  
***  
  
  
The structure shook as the wind grew. Metal bent and twisted under a new   
found pressure. The four crystal coffins flashed in a reflective, rouge   
sheen as it mirrored the sky -- red against black, blood and sacrifice   
against the abyss of death. It was quite fitting Doko grinned as he   
released his hand and with a push of his legs flew and was suspended in the   
air as the elements of air ripped at his jacket and loosened tie. His hair   
flew and had he not been a youma, his eyes would have been squinting in that   
dull, brightness. He was pulling out and the moment he was out of range,   
the coffins were once again linked by lightening, dark and sinister. The   
tower groaned, creaking as it was slowly pulled apart.  
  
Somewhere, there were screams below him and terror, panic, along with death   
filled the air.  
  
He laughed, not knowing why for it was a human reaction. It gave him   
perverse pleasure to watch this man-made structure, magnificent in its   
ugliness crumble at the power of his master, falling apart at his touch.   
Ah, the sheer exhilaration of such control and such wildness drove him into   
ecstasy.  
  
The metal broke and was ripped apart like paper and an explosion of   
darkness, infinite of agony, voices ringing over the land as a   
spiraling pillar of pure chaos broke through and below him the darkness a   
washed over all things like a flood over the lands, darkening the world.   
The soundless scream pierced his own ears and he flinched, covering the   
human organs with his crystalline hands, swearing under his breath as the   
pressure built within his skull as that piercing sound came and then there   
was silence.  
  
Doko looked up surprised to come face to face with a mass of darkness,   
faceless, voiceless, and shapeless. It looked at him and began to mimic his   
basic shape as tendrils came and went over its form. Claws came, eyes of the   
darkest abyss followed and then, many other human qualities appeared, making   
the being easier to identify, categorize and relate to. But it was still,   
in essence, much like a newborn youma in its primitive curiosity.  
  
"Master, I've finally found you!" Doko smiled as the being watched him and   
then twisted its head all the way around till it was upside-down.  
  
*th-- toy-- --ster g-- -r--* gibberish but then one thought came through   
clear before it shook its head as if to clear it. *what is master*  
  
Doko blinked surprised, unsure of whether that had been a statement, a   
question, or a part of a statement. He sighed, communication would be hard   
with this great being, but then who said talking to a god would be easy?  
  
"You, who shall rule over this land," he answered wearily.  
  
More gibberish before the voice became one and he grimaced, huddling into a   
ball at the full force of the thought. *where is the one who sealed chaos*  
  
When Doko recovered, he was once again a washed with a million   
conversations and nonsense in his own head as his eyes gleamed with   
anticipation. "The Sailor Senshi," he smiled at the monster he had   
unleashed, "they sealed you."  
  
*sailor senshi choas want*  
  
"Whatever the Master desires," Doko murmured, as he looked towards the one   
area clear from the sweep of chaos, located not very far away. "Whatever   
you desire."  
  
That was when his master first discovered the emotion called satisfaction.   
It was the second emotion it had come to experience, the first being   
hatred. It liked the feeling very much and wished to continue. Tendrils of   
darkness came and went as Death woke into the world of the living.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Hiketsu felt sick. Sure, he had been sick before in his life as all humans   
have. But he felt really, really sick and not because his body was unwell   
but the darkness emitting from the Earth and from all living things   
outside of the area cleansed, bombarded him in such a way that he felt   
disgusted and dirty down to the very core of his being. Mars looked at him   
worriedly, supporting him as he heaved.  
  
"If he throws up, it's not going to be on me," Sailor Venus sniffed having   
transformed and gotten more than a few interesting comments from Fuma   
because she unwittingly did it in front of him.  
  
"Well thanks for your unending support, Minako-chan." Mars bit back   
harshly, her face a slightly interesting shade of green as well. "I am so   
glad that you are my best friend in the whole world!"  
  
"I never felt this bad before," Tuxedo Kamen groaned as Eternal Sailor Moon   
tried her best to make him feel better by lightly tapping her hand on his   
arm and restraining herself from showing further worried affections. It was   
at the advice of Mercury and the strength of Jupiter that had made sure the   
odango-princess didn't try to shake her prince into better health -- as   
Minako had tried to do with her earlier -- at first. However, it was Mars   
who bluntly pointed out that if Sailor Moon didn't want her hero to throw up   
all over her nice, white fuku, she best not do more than pet the guy's arm.   
That made the odango-blond first go pale and then look nervously over to   
her Tuxedo Kamen as he gave her his best green-faced,   
I'm-sick-don't-hurt-or-touch-me look that made sure she did no more than   
what she had been instructed.  
  
"This is just great!" Jupiter muttered as she paced back and forth before   
the group.  
  
"Please, Mako-chan," Mars groaned as she buried her face into Hiketsu's   
neck. "Stop going around and around, it's making me dizzy and even more   
nauseated than before."  
  
Jupiter paused with a resigned sigh, "So, our resident psychics are both   
sick and Tuxedo Kamen-sama is just as green in the face as the skirt I'm   
wearing, and you tell me to stop worrying?" a few protests ended when those   
emerald eyes glared at them, shutting everyone up to endure Jupiter's rant.   
"So what the hell are we going to do when we get out of this field of   
cleansing? Anyone got any bright ideas?"  
  
"I didn't say stop worrying," Mars grouchily muttered, "You can worry but   
can you just stand still while you're doing it?"  
  
"I think I just need to throw up once," Hiketsu muttered. "I'm not asking   
for the world's best pill here."  
  
Mercury was thinking about the whole situation as she carefully scanned all   
of them but focusing more on the three sickest people in the group, "You   
are all sensitive to the different forces working here, right?" the   
blue-haired woman paused as they all nodded. "Mars has her senses   
heightened but being a Senshi makes it more likely that she can resist being   
physically sick, at least much better than Hiketsu. And Tuxedo Kamen is   
sick because his bond with the Earth increases once he has transformed, also   
held in check by his transformation though. Well, the best solution I can   
think to this is that we can cast something along the lines of a magick   
dampener that can block out the effects of this but it'll definitely blanket   
your senses as well." Hiketsu looked perplexed and Mars looked worriedly to   
him as well. Tuxedo Kamen continued to stare at the sky overhead as he   
tried to make sure that his breathing was slow and steady. "It's not the   
best solution, I know, but once we reach the Tokyo Tower, the negative   
energy my computer's picking up from there is going to increase by many   
folds. It's going to be a tow on your bodies if you don't numb those senses   
a little."  
  
"You need us," the prince finally said after absorbing the information.   
"You need our senses to pick out the main force of this."  
  
"But you can't damn well fight if you're puking your guts out in an open   
battle field!" Jupiter cut in angrily, her eyes flashing with concern as   
she looked at her green-faced friends.  
  
"Thanks for the mental image," Mars commented dryly but nobody laughed   
because the truth of it made them all slightly nervous and on edge. "I   
don't think it would be best that we blanket our senses with magick," Mars   
finally cut into the anxious silence as she looked to Mercury with   
determination in her eyes. "Hiketsu's best weapon is what he has naturally,   
his natural instincts. If we let magick he can't control and don't know   
much about into the mix, a whole bunch of things can go wrong. It's the   
same with Tuxedo Kamen-sama and me, we need that part of us because it is a   
part of us. So, you'll just have to give us some time to adjust to this,   
throw up in a bush somewhere, and we'll all come back less "green" and   
having already "puked our guts out", as Jupiter so kindly put it."  
  
Mercury shrugged at this, "It was only a hypothesis," she amended   
sympathetically.  
  
"Now, if you'll excuse me," Mars began to drag Hiketsu away towards the   
restaurant she was sure had a bathroom inside, somewhere.  
  
"Sailor Moon, I really need to follow them," Tuxedo Kamen patted at his   
girlfriend's worried hands to still her motion. "I'll be gone for just a   
few minutes."  
  
"You want me to watch over your hat or something?" Sailor Moon suggested,   
having nothing else better to do. It sounded silly, but if it made her feel   
better who was he to complain? Smiling Tuxedo Kamen nodded and left it to   
the fretting Sailor Moon as he got up.  
  
"Usagi-chan, it's not like someone would, or even could, come and steal   
that from him," Luna chided her ward kindly when Tuxedo Kamen was gone,   
trying to ease the other's anxieties while she nonchalantly smoothed her   
fur.  
  
Sticking her tongue out at her cat, Sailor Moon opened her mouth to retort   
in indignation but Fuma's laugh cut her off. "That is the first time I've   
seen a cat do that!" He waltzed over to the surprised Luna and the   
odango-blonde while a weary Artemis peeked at him next to the dark, female   
cat beside him. "Hey, kitty, think you could say my name too?"  
  
"I can make fun of Usagi-chan, don't you think I can pronounce your name   
correctly, Kuragari-san?" Luna asked frostily, getting annoyed with the   
other man. Artemis felt sorry for the stupid boy who was provoking her,   
well, sort of. He still didn't approve his Minako dating such a baka.  
  
"Well, one never knows! What other tricks can you do?" Venus was hitting   
her head against her palm while muttering about how stupid her boyfriend   
could be -- in agreement with her guardian cat's silent observations -- as   
Jupiter openly gaped at Fuma's audaciousness. Mercury blinked once before   
bowing her head in shame as Fuma continued to make absurd demands. And   
sitting next to Luna, Sailor Moon had her mouth hanging wide open at the man   
who spoke so rudely to her council and guardian, unable to get her jaw to   
work as she stared at the other in shock. "Oh, oh! Can you do a square   
dance too since you are a talking cat, after all, and no one ever imagined   
that to be possible!"  
  
Luna hissed under her breath, for the last comment became the straw that   
broke the camel's back. "I am a royal, Lunarian cat and I demand that you   
show at least one damn ounce of respect! Because right now, I am seriously   
considering going out there to find your body before you do and make it my   
personal scratching post right up to the next century you got that   
hologram-boy?" Amused, Fuma only smirked much to the further irritation of   
Luna.  
  
"So, you can't do the jig?" Luna flexed her claws before looking darkly   
over at Fuma as images of ripping him to shreds came to mind. The blue eyes   
of Luna narrowed as Fuma grinned, leaning over to pet her on the head. She   
made a swipe at him in annoyance, her claws going through him just as she   
had suspected before. "Ah, ah, ah, you naughty little kitty!"  
  
Luna twitched at this and Artemis sighed silently to himself. Why did he   
have a bad feeling about this? That somehow he was going to be the one   
facing the violent treatment? "You-you--" Luna sputtered, too angry to come   
up with words to describe the incredibly annoying hologram before her.  
  
Fuma grinned, looked over and took notice of an exasperated Artemis before   
his grin widened. Oh, yeah, Artemis thought to himself, I am so going to   
get it simply because I am me. "Is she your girlfriend there, buddy?" Fuma   
inquired, "Feisty little kitty, isn't she? You must have you paws full, eh,   
you lucky alley cat!" With a wicked wink, Fuma sauntered away as Artemis   
gaped in shock at his retreating back.  
  
Him? An alley cat? The thought was repulsive... but interesting.  
  
A low hissing noise next to him warned him of his eminent doom as he slowly   
swiveled his head in Luna's direction, fearful of what he would come to   
face. "I am so going to kill him," Luna turned to find Artemis staring at   
her with the same expression frozen on his face after what Fuma had so   
blatantly suggested. The white cat was definitely blushing under his fur at   
the implications stated. Artemis' white jaw was slack as he gaped at her   
in total shock, his imagination taking him where no man, or cat, should dare   
to tread in the presence of an annoyed female. Red crept up her face   
underneath her dark fur as well when she realized what it was that he was   
probably thinking about at that exact moment, "Hentai!"  
  
Smack!  
  
Yup! Did he mention doomed yet?  
  
By the time the others came back, they all looked better except for a   
beaten Artemis while everybody else ignored a pouting Fuma. "It's getting   
stronger," Mars warned them when the three of them neared. "We have to   
hurry."  
  
Tuxedo Kamen looked better and he seemed to be thinking better too, "Usako,   
maybe you shouldn't go."  
  
Sailor Moon gasped at this, "Why not?" She demanded, irritated that Tuxedo   
Kamen could even suggest something so irrational. "It's the epic battle,   
you'd think that I would come in handy, somehow!"  
  
"But the ba--"  
  
Blue eyes narrowed at him, "Don't even think about saying it, my family is   
just as in the line of danger as the rest of us and they are out there   
without any magick. Everybody here is taking the same risks and if we don't   
win, nobody's going to survive!"  
  
"But what about the--"  
  
"No! I refuse to talk about it." Sailor Moon cut in again.  
  
"You just don't want the others to know!" Tuxedo Kamen angrily retorted.  
  
"Know what, exactly?" Artemis inquired hesitantly.  
  
"You see what you've done--?" Sailor Moon began, pointing at the   
bewildered white cat.  
  
"I just thought that it would be better if--" Tuxedo Kamen began to reply   
as well.  
  
"Oh, don't tell me you don't know!" Venus exclaimed surprised, her voice   
overriding both the prince's and the princess's ongoing argument.  
  
The couple froze as they looked at Sailor Venus and then at everyone else's   
grinning face. "What? You can't mean that it wasn't obvious?" Fuma   
demanded incredulously.  
  
"Hiketsu and I can read ki, you'd think we'd sense an extra, little   
someone!" Mars added.  
  
"I've been scanning you since the battle's beginning, Usagi-chan, and my   
computer wouldn't miss that!" Mercury agreed.  
  
Jupiter blinked as Sailor Moon's gaze fell on her, "What? It's expected   
since you guys are having sex!" The group went into deadly silence at that   
as Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen both turned deep red. "Oops, was I not   
suppose to say that outloud?" Jupiter asked sheepishly as she scratched her   
head innocently.  
  
"Too late now," Mars muttered.  
  
"You all know?" Sailor Moon asked mortified when the truth settled.  
  
"Well, we thought we'd be polite about it and wait until you got around to   
telling us before we let you know that we knew," Jupiter admitted when   
nobody else would answer.  
  
"It definitely would not have been appropriate if you didn't tell us   
first," Mercury quickly agreed.  
  
Mars shrugged, "Hey, I wasn't about to spill the beans about your personal   
life."  
  
Venus didn't even try to explain, "It's so romantic that you two are having   
a baby together and out of wedlock too!"  
  
Of course Fuma ruined the moment by opening his mouth, "Kinky!"  
  
Of all the wishes to the gods at that moment, the wish that Kuragari Fuma   
would one day regain his body was prayed for most fervently by the little   
group standing in their little corner in Tokyo, Japan before they prepared   
to go fight for the preservation of life on their world.  
  
  
***  
  
  
The hospital was white and once it had smelled sterile with too much   
cleanliness. He never realized how much he would miss that smell once he   
got a waft of death. It was better to smell squeaky cleanliness than   
rotting flesh any day.  
  
His back was to the wall as he stared up at the ceiling, the blue-white of   
the fluorescent lights hypnotizing him. He didn't want to think, to   
remember, to sense, to smell, nor did he want his hearing either. A cough   
racked his body as pain raced through him, blood seeping past his lips in a   
thin line that was drawn down to his chin, dripping onto his already stained   
shirt. If mother saw him she would scold him for being in such a mess, and   
he sputtered a sound between laughter and despair as he lowered his head   
into his hands.  
  
One tear, two.  
  
Hell, he had thought he could stop crying by now. He was a man after all,   
and men didn't cry. Strong men could, and would, bear this pain. What was   
that saying again? Wasn't it something like: "The eyelids of a Samurai know   
not moisture"? But then again, he wasn't strong, was he? At least, he had   
not been strong enough to save her and he had not been strong enough to save   
Father either.  
  
Mother.  
  
He glanced over to the other side of the hospital room. It was white, dim   
and dreary. He hated this room so much! Turning his gaze to the window, he   
saw the red creeping into the skies. A sunset, another something he was   
missing by being here, but where would he go if he left?  
  
A shuffling came into the room and his eyes shifted towards the sound,   
regarding the bent back of the man, lying against a white bundle beneath the   
covers of the sheets. "You hungry?" He asked casually having long given up   
requesting the other to leave. He had tried everything after all, first   
through his tears, than anger, he had even begged the last person who was   
still here, left for him, but nothing worked. "We're just one, damn, happy   
family aren't we?" He grumbled under his breath bitterly.  
  
There was no hope, or life, and no tomorrow by the looks of things.  
  
No answer to his questions either.  
  
He should have known, "You hungry, dad?" He asked a little louder this   
time.  
  
No answer.  
  
He could hear the rasp still in his voice from his earlier frustrations. He   
had been stupid then, screaming himself hoarse at the man before him, the   
man who might as well be dead. "Go home, Shingo." Blue eyes widened at the   
response that finally came, "Your mother and I will be back soon, she's   
getting better you know?"  
  
Tsukino Shingo blinked slowly, as if absorbing those words. What had he   
said before? Everything he said had fallen on deaf ears but father seemed to   
be listening to him at last. "No, dad," he shook his head. Standing on   
shaky legs he began to walk over, "Dad wake up, come back with me."  
  
"Your mother needs me, son," his father smiled down at the corpse. "She   
looks better than yesterday, doesn't she?" No, she's rotting in bed and you   
won't leave her side, Shingo thought. He wrinkled his nose as the smell of   
decaying flesh became stronger as he neared his father. "You know, Shingo,   
the day you were born she was so happy. And when your sister came into the   
hospital room and looked at you, oh, I knew then those two would adore you   
to death. Did you know what Usagi-chan gave you that day? Roses. She was   
so convinced that they were your flowers that she used to ask for them   
everyday after you were born." Shingo froze in his place behind his father   
as he looked down at the broken man in disbelief. The man he had looked up   
to all his life did not acknowledge his presence even as his shadow hovered   
over his father. "Your mother told her that Kami-sama gave you to us as a   
gift and Usagi was so little then. Your sister took one look at you that day   
and said to us that Kami-sama must have want her to take special care of you,   
so she was going to be the best, big, little sister in the world."  
  
Father's laugh had no despair in it, but joy. And the joy was so foreign a   
feeling to him at the moment that it sounded wrong in his ears, grating and   
strange. No, it was wrong, it was wrong to laugh about anything at this   
moment when there was nothing to laugh at, when there was no future.  
  
"I love you all so much," his father said. "We're just one big, happy   
family aren't we, Shingo-chan?"  
  
How long has it been since father called him that?  
  
Blue eyes narrowed in worry as his hands grasped the man's shoulders, "Dad,   
wake up, dammit! Mother's not getting better anymore! She's dead, dead..."   
Tears fell in splashes of dew-like drops, even though he had thought that he   
had cried all of his tears already. But the emptiness and the pain were   
there to stay in an unending wave that would not and could not be dispersed.   
His back stooped as if a great weight was pressing down on him, weighing   
down his limbs as he rested his forehead against his father's back. "Can't   
you hear me? She's not coming back and neither is Usagi-chan! They're both   
not coming back--"  
  
"Shut up!" Shingo felt himself being shoved away, shocked as his father   
turned to him then, "Who the hell do you think you are?" Tsukino Kenji   
looked up to him. "You think you can just waltz in here and talk about my   
family like that?"  
  
"D-dad?" Shingo gasped.  
  
"I'm not your father! My son would never speak to his family like that   
and he would never say the blasphemous things that you have uttered! What   
right do you have to come here and speak to us like that?" That anger and   
that madness in Kenji's eyes, as if he never seen Shingo before, scared him,  
shaking him to the core.  
  
"You're crazy!" Shingo swore, "Dammit dad, I know you're in there   
somewhere. Face me, dammit! At least have the decency to face me--"  
  
The ringing in his ears and the throb of his cheek stopped his words and   
any other thoughts in his head in a single moment. The shocked silence as   
accusing blue eyes turned to the man by the bed. Shingo found nothing there   
except a shell of memories. Kenji had already turned back and grasped the   
rotting hands of his dead wife, leaving Shingo to stand there in the   
aftermath of the slap, uncertain of the emotion that made those silent tears   
fall from his eyes.  
  
Was this feeling anger? Sadness? Disappointment? Or betrayal?  
  
Maybe he was experiencing all of these things.  
  
Lost and alone, he stood behind the man he had looked up to all his life,   
watching the other crumble.  
  
Hate.  
  
He had never hated anyone so much as he did then and he hated himself more   
than anything else in the world in that moment of despair. He turned on his   
heels and exited the room quickly, unsure of where he was headed but he was   
sick of the death and the helplessness he felt.  
  
Another cough, stronger this time than the last, assailed him. Shingo   
gasped as he collapsed against the white wall next to him. A foreboding   
feeling overwhelmed his senses, making every single hair on his body stand   
on ends. The young man glanced over to see the red sky overhead from the   
window of an unoccupied hospital room, saw the darkness sweeping over the   
lands in an unstoppable wave, and then the walls around him turned black as   
he took a defensive step back before him and everything else around him was   
drowned in the darkness.  
  
If Tsukino Shingo had screamed, he never heard the sound that fell from his   
own lips.  
  
In that darkness he found the truth that he never knew he was   
searching for. Red eyes opened in that same darkness, one blinked and then   
another.  
  
There were no more tears.  
  
The youma leered as one image came into its mind, the bleeding image of a   
fuku dressed female, hanging lifelessly in its claws. The being began to   
smile. Mother. Mother will come back to life in that river of blood   
again...  
  
With that the window of the hospital was smashed as a black beast broke   
through the glass, landing onto the ground far below. It left a large dent   
on the black cement sidewalk before it moved on, searching for the cure to   
those it cared for the most in that dying world, relying solely on its   
distorted memories of the past.  
  
It had to find those female warriors, the beast thought as it was fueled by   
the turmoil of emotions still raging through its tainted blood. The being   
previously known as Tsukino Shingo raised its head and roared at the   
bloodied skies. A short time ago, its old self would not even have   
considered the option of killing another to ensure its own survival. But   
now it knew, it knew that they were the ones who could cure him and everyone   
he knew from this eternal agony by only with a drop of their immortal   
blood...  
  
It must possess the blood of those eternal soldiers, that or die trying!  
  
  
***  
  
  
They landed a few miles away, and surprisingly no one protested. Pluto   
knew she couldn't go back, but she wanted to see, she needed to pause for a   
moment on this roller coaster ride to the end of the world and gather   
herself. And that was when it happened.  
  
The communicator beeped and slowly, cautiously, Pluto opened hers before   
she caught sight of a battered Neptune smiling at her on the small, circular   
screen. In the corner of her eye, she saw Saturn opening her communicator   
too, "Are you alright?" Those words escaped her lips before she could stop   
herself. Pluto knew she shouldn't have cared, that being a Sailor Senshi   
meant risks and that meant it wouldn't matter if they could make it or not,   
what mattered was that they could accomplish what they were here to do. But   
she cared. All the centuries of loneliness had caught up with her in that   
single moment and she didn't want them to die! She wanted them to live and   
be happy and not have to deal with this.  
  
Hell, Haruka would definitely reject that idea. The sandy-haired blonde   
loved the action and the powers too much to just give it up because of the   
risks -- after all, that was why she loved it so much -- but then again the   
other had always been the restless type. Looking at Neptune, Pluto had a   
feeling that even if Haruka had never became a Sailor Senshi she would still   
have spent her life searching for someone like Michiru. Michiru calmed   
Haruka's wildness, and though many might have considered the aqua-haired   
woman manipulative, Michiru was far from cruel.  
  
It was always "do what you have to do" for those two.  
  
The philosophy had seemed so simple on the surface, even when those words   
left one's tongue in a final, short and sweet sort of way. But when the end   
came, Pluto had to admire both for the way they carried those words out to   
the last letter. Maybe that's why she had come to love these people who had   
shown her their dedication, their heart and their soul. The couple had   
given her a reason to respect them and then, finally, to love them.  
  
"I thought I told you to get out of here!" Neptune scolded, a teasing   
light in her eyes. That smile eased whatever discomfort her tone might have   
brought. She was also skillfully avoiding the question.  
  
"I thought you said you were taking the express way back to Japan too,"   
Pluto answered with equal playfulness, her voice just as kind.  
  
Uranus popped up beside her partner and lover, eyes furtively looking to   
one side before coming to the screen with a mischievous grin that hid   
whatever those two were really thinking, or worrying about at the time.   
"Ah, hey there hime-chan! Did you come to tell your old man that you like   
your freedom so far? Better not find a boyfriend without me giving you my   
approval first!"  
  
"You're not going to make it," Saturn told them calmly and though her words   
were harsh, her voice was warmer than it had been for a long time,   
warmer and sadder.  
  
Neptune blinked a moment in surprise but was the first to recover, "Well,   
we were just ringing in to see how all of you were faring without us.   
Obviously Setsuna is not giving you enough of a cheer! Setsuna dear, you do   
get hung up over some things. Don't be such a worry-wart, you'll be giving   
Hotaru-chan nightmares!"  
  
"See, Michiru! I knew those two would miss us while we beat them in the   
race to be back home," Uranus cut in looking at Neptune before tuning back   
to an amused Pluto. "I'm going to tell Usagi-chan all about how you two   
slow-pokes are still eating my dust once I get back!"  
  
Saturn closed her communicator and went back to the chopper where Core   
lounged against the side. "Take care of Hotaru-chan for us, ne, Setsuna?"   
Neptune smiled at her over the comm-link once Saturn had left.  
  
"Yeah, take care of the munchkin while we're apart, ne? And don't spoil   
her too much, I don't want our little girl to be too serious and picky after   
this whole ordeal is over and all!" Uranus winked. "We'll be watching you   
from afar! And now, if you'll excuse me, business calls though I would much   
prefer the company of you two lovely women!" The screen wavered as Uranus   
turned hers off, and before long an explosion in the background sent   
concrete flying in all directions. Pluto lifted her head to see a sparkle   
of light in the distance before looking down at the communicator screen   
again just as Neptune came up from ducking a particularly large chunk of   
cement.  
  
"Setsuna," Neptune was a little breathless when the screen refocused.  
  
"Hai, Michiru?"  
  
"I wanted you to know," another bout of static cut the aqua-haired senshi   
off before the same beautiful face came back on, "...it's not your fault,   
you know?" Pluto blinked not quite sure where the other was coming from.  
  
"What? What was that, Michiru? There was too much static." Pluto looked   
puzzled by her friend's words, breathlessly waiting for an explanation. Her   
heart pounded, full of hope and fear all at once to what the other had   
meant.  
  
Neptune continued to smile at her sadly, "The future has already been   
decided. It's not your fault how it turns out in the end." Aqua eyes   
searched her own, "I wanted you to know that, my dear, old friend." Another   
explosion in the background and the image shook, "Sayonara, Set--"  
  
"Neptune, you're needed here--!" Pluto could hear the slight panic in   
Uranus' voice as the other called for her partner. The link was   
disconnected in another instant and Pluto was left with nothing but a blank   
screen.  
  
Somewhere in the distance a brilliant explosion went off, and she watched   
with a heavy heart and dry eyes. Sometimes it hurts to cry and sometimes it   
just isn't right for tears. Pluto whispered a soundless goodbye to the   
distance as the powerful light winked out, "See you soon, dear, old   
friends." Slowly she closed the small communicator in her hand, unwilling   
to look away from where she had departed but moments ago.  
  
*We'll be watching you from afar!* A small, sad smile came over her lips.   
*Ah, I hope heaven's what it turns out to be, Michiru! Kami-sama knows we   
need the vacation and best of all, it's free!* Haruka's voice came back to   
her again, remembering that conversation during their helicopter ride awhile   
back. It had sounded humorous then, a little dark and a bit dry, almost silly   
but now it was so sad. What had Michiru said that time? Something about privacy,   
those two were always goading each other on.  
  
Pluto blinked. No, no tears today. There wasn't time to cry. Instead she   
turned her back to happier times of the past to face the looming future.   
"What the hell are you doing?" Core's enraged voice reached Pluto's ears as   
she turned to see the sight that greeted her. A calm Saturn was violently   
shoving the body of Hector Kalic out of the chopper's side door. Hector had   
been a good man, men like him were hard to come by. Pluto regretted that   
loss too, it was not a death she had forseen, but he had always suspected   
the risks when she had gone to him those years ago, offering him the   
underground project that later became a part of his life.  
  
"You are carrying waste, it is a hazard to all of us." Saturn explained   
evenly as the girl dusted her hands.  
  
Pluto took a deep breath before walking towards the two. A part of her was   
thinking, pretending that Uranus and Neptune were still alive that they had   
teleported out in time. Those two would probably be drinking tea at their   
local hangout in Tokyo soon, laughing at her and Saturn for being   
"slow-pokes" as Haruka put it. Somewhere, they are watching and waiting   
for us to come home, Pluto assured herself. And one can never be too sure   
about those two. They had the luck of cats when it came to staying alive.   
After all, Michiru and Haruka were just alive a moment ago. They couldn't   
be dead, right? And she couldn't afford to show weakness to either of the   
two companions before her, not now, not when she needed as much control over   
the situation as she could possibly muster.  
  
*I wanted you to know... it's not your fault.* What Michiru gave her was   
enough to keep her strong for now, that and Haruka's sarcastic jokes.  
  
"What you think means nothing to me," Core argued back though seemingly   
calmer now as he walked over to pick Kalic's body up where Saturn had so   
carelessly discarded it.  
  
"The mark this man wears that has protected him thus far from a complete   
take-over by the youma entity he carries, is gone." Saturn replied with   
equal calmness, "Any minute now, he will take on the true form of his   
corrupted soul! I couldn't care less if you carried that rotting corpse with   
you till the end of your days but I see no logic in keeping one that will   
turn into a monster and attack us at any time the disease within him so   
desires."  
  
"He will not--" Core was cut off as the man in his arms shuddered and   
blackness consumed him. Core looked down at this event in annoyance but   
before he could retort, Pluto's voice rang out.  
  
"Dead scream!" The ball engulfed the black mass in Core's arms, forcing   
the man to step back in surprise as the attack pushed Core back a little   
more. Pluto made no effort to hide her enjoyment of unleashing her attack.   
It felt good to focus on something else, it felt good to get back to her   
duties, it felt good to let out her frustrations and anger and grief out on   
something. And she was so close to killing Core, Charolet's clone... That   
felt damn good too!  
  
"Fuck," Core swore under his breath before regaining his composure, "You   
kill so easily for someone who claims to protect life."  
  
Why was she always guilty for the human inside of her? It seemed to get in   
her way a lot these days. "He was already dead," Pluto shrugged, slipping   
into the familiar role that she was so used to playing. "I can't kill   
someone who's already dead."  
  
"And I thought he was your comrade, Pluto." Core said coldly.  
  
"A reliable ally, he was," she glared at him coldly, emphasizing her last   
word. "And now he can rest in peace and not be some youma puppet for some   
stupid mission to take over the world." Rouge eyes clashed with blue ones,   
he reminded her so much of Alyssa and at the same time, Core showed a lot   
more emotion than his sister clone ever did. "Get in the chopper. We're   
leaving." She commanded snappishly. She watched the thin, mocking smile   
come over his lips, telling her that he enjoyed hitting a nerve of hers.  
  
*Setsuna, thank you.* Hector's words came back to her in that moment.   
Hector Kalic was smiling then, so young and full of dreams. She remembered   
how he had looked as an older man, lying so helplessly in Core's arms. *I   
know it won't be easy, but I think I can do this.*  
  
*You always love a challenge, don't you?* She had asked him that the day   
he had said yes to her offer. He was blushing and she found that as amusing   
as the admiration in his eyes. Puppy love, wasn't that what she had always   
called it? It had been a silly crush, but it made the man endearing.   
Hector had always been a kind man, helped others whenever he could. He was also   
very brilliant, and had a good heart and brains, qualities so very rare to   
come by in life. Smart people sometimes had trouble distinguishing success   
and doing good for others. If she thought on it, she could almost admit to   
herself that she had liked him a little too. But her duties would not have   
allowed those feelings to get any further than curiosity at the time.   
Goodness, she never more than shared a coffee break with him every few years   
when they met up and discussed Core.  
  
He was always smiling when she saw him though and there was a light in his   
eyes that made her respect him. *Life is full of challenges, made for it, I   
think.* It was strange seeing someone smile at such a serious topic, but   
Hector always had Haruka's strange humor and Usagi's vibrancy when it came   
to life. It was refreshing to finally meet someone like that who was no   
cynic but had faced the truth and came out smiling. *My hardest one was   
failing and then learning to live with that. It must be difficult this   
thing that they call rebirth,* He knew she was watching him intently then   
but that smile never wavered, *When I was young I always thought death was   
somewhat like one big failure,* he laughed at himself then, perhaps   
remembering those days of innocence gone. *But when I experienced my first   
true defeat,* he sighed as he glanced at the bitter and dark liquid in his   
cup. *Somehow it tasted like a triumph as well. I think that life is like   
a cup of coffee, it's bitter but it wakes you up.* He glanced at her then,   
shy and tentative. The man made it so easy for others to fall in love with   
him, to trust him and respect him, he had always been a natural leader. His   
charm was so inborn that she had problems resisting it herself.   
*Sounds silly, doesn't it?*  
  
*Of much philosophical worth I'm sure,* she had smiled back at him kindly.  
  
He had been so full of life and determination, always, but Hector Kalic was   
dead. Funny, how she had destroyed the last of him. Still, she honestly   
hoped that Hector was free now, and maybe he could find true happiness in   
this little failure that she had caused for him. I hope that you have   
tasted your greatest triumph, Pluto silently prayed as she went to the other   
side of the chopper.  
  
Core shrugged, looking out in search of the ashes that had already been   
blown away by the wind. "Be at peace, friend." The murmur went unheard as   
Pluto swung into the pilot's seat and started the engines. Core closed his   
eyes for a moment and let the centuries of his life flash before him in that   
instant before turning back to the path he had chosen for himself. "May I   
find the cure you so desired, my last gift."  
  
Saturn glanced back at him as expressionless as ever. He could not tell if   
the girl-monster heard him or not but deemed it not worth his time to find   
out, he had other things on his mind after all. He hoped that Sailor   
Mercury did not turn into something like the two, cold-hearted women before   
him when she donned her fuku. He doubted that she was anything like them   
since Ami was such a kind and gentle soul. With her on his mind, he slid   
into his seat and looked at the rooftop they were departing from. He looked   
sideways to study the profile of the woman-senshi who had changed his life   
forever when she came charging into that little cell his people had created   
so long ago, destroying his only family. Then, she offered him another,   
taking him away from the only woman he had ever loved, his creator.  
  
Now, this demoness of a warrior was losing people most important to her as   
well and though, some part of him knew he should feel better knowing that   
she was suffering as she had made him suffer, the humans she had exposed him   
to had changed him from what he was before. There was a corner of his heart   
that understood her pain and her reluctance to reveal it, making him   
experience sympathy for another being for the first time in his life.   
Still, he was becoming more and more indifferent to the whole situation and   
whatever it was that was to come. Whether or not Pluto understood, in a   
symbolic way, she had just destroyed his last physical link to the humanity   
she had chained him to when she turned Kalic to dust in his arms and right   
now, he really couldn't have cared less.  
  
Somehow a single tear clung to his eyelashes before falling onto the   
material of his pants when he blinked. Core stared down at the small,   
spreading wet spot for a confused moment, not knowing why he was shedding a   
tear for the second time in his long, long life.  
  
  
***  
  
  
The darkness that covered the city, surrendering it to the inky shadow of   
night drew back like a wave slithering back into the depth of a black ocean.   
Revealing nothing in the light, hiding its shadows as the bleeding skies   
looked on with indifference to the dying world below.  
  
A youma lifted its head and retreated, clambering up the side of a building   
as a group of men and women rounded the corner along with two cats leading   
the way. "It's so strange," one of the young women was saying at that   
moment, dark hair shimmering with hues of red that was being reflected from   
the heavens overhead. "There was great negative energy all around us just a   
moment ago and it seemed to have just..."  
  
"Disappeared?" A blue-haired woman suggested as she tapped at a small   
computer in her hand.  
  
"No, I wouldn't say that," the dark-haired woman shook her head, her face   
thoughtful as she tried to find the words to describe what she had felt.   
"More like, gone into hiding."  
  
"Hiding?" A brunette looked distrustfully at the former, "It sounds to me   
like you're saying that they're expecting us."  
  
"That's what I'm afraid of," the dark-haired woman grumbled grimly.  
  
A blond-haired man was walking with the cats in front of the group and   
paused in the middle of the street. The cats beside him stopped as well and   
looked back to watch the group approach, "This is it," he said when they got   
close enough to hear him.  
  
"It is?" A woman with strange, odango-like buns on the side of her head and   
long braids of hair falling over her shoulders looked at the man in   
surprise.  
  
"Hiketsu meant that this is where the barrier ends," the dark cat, Luna,   
explained.  
  
The blue-haired woman nodded with a satisfied glimmer in her eyes as the   
white cat looked back at her, "Your calculations were correct after all,   
Mercury," seeing her blue eyes surveyed the area before them.  
  
"So, why have we stopped?" The brunette inquired, "I don't think we have   
much time left before the enemy gets out of hand."  
  
"Venus," the dark-haired women looked worriedly at their surroundings as   
another blond-haired woman turned to the former in question. "Is it just me   
or is this place a little too empty and quiet?"  
  
"No one's here," the brunette shook her head slowly as she looked out in   
the open, sadness in her eyes. "Isn't that reason enough?"  
  
"I don't mean that, Jupiter," the dark-haired woman narrowed her eyes at   
their surroundings. "I sense negative energy here but there's nothing to   
show why there's negative energy being emitted here to begin with."  
  
"Mercury, are you picking up anything?" The one named Venus inquired.  
  
"The whole city is blanketed by this dark force, my computer can't pick up   
anything specific but there's definitely something out there waiting for   
us."  
  
The dark cat looked worriedly over to the men who had been strangely silent   
throughout the whole conversation, "Can you tell us anything, Tuxedo   
Kamen-sama?"  
  
"Other than that this is making me sick to my stomach?" A dark-haired man   
sighed, "No, my senses are too overwhelmed by the magnitude of this evil to   
distinguish anything from it. It's like we're walking in darkness and   
looking for shadows."  
  
Emerald eyes never leaving the city awaiting them, blinked before the   
brunette spoke. "But now we know that something is definitely waiting for   
us out there, hmm?"  
  
"Fuma, I think it's time for you to get to work," Venus frowned at the city   
that was her home.  
  
"Just because I can't get ripped to shreds," Fuma sighed, ignoring the   
glares turned his way as he strutted easily down the street and passed the   
barrier. "I bet there's nothing here at all but some pesky insects." The   
blond walked a little way down before he turned to them, "See, I'm telling   
you guys, nothing!"  
  
Venus sighed in relief as she took a step forward to follow, "Min'na," the   
brunette took a step back instead as her eyes were glued to one of the   
buildings on their left instead of their companion in the streets. "We've   
got company."  
  
Heads turned in her direction before following her eyes and there, little   
by little, forms of darkness rippled from the reflective glass, seemingly   
emerging from thin air as their enemies shed their camouflage. "Well,   
fuck." Fuma brushed his hand through his hair as he glared at their new   
arrivals.  
  
"Just bugs, huh?" Artemis inquired sarcastically as he glanced towards the   
frustrated Fuma.  
  
"This reminds me of a game of cat and mouse and I don't like being in   
anyway related to a mouse," Luna quipped dryly beside her feline companion.  
  
The black beings shifted along the walls as the group froze, not quite sure   
whether to go forward or back, whether to attack or retreat. "They have  
certainly been waiting for us," Tuxedo Kamen growled as he readied his   
slender, black cane.  
  
"And waiting for the barrier to recede as well," Hiketsu glanced over to   
Mars who stood closer to him then, as if to protect him. He smiled at her   
concern for his welfare, not at all miffed by her assumption that she was   
the stronger one of the two of them.  
  
"I'd be careful, min'na," Venus warned as she narrowed her eyes, crouching   
and readying herself for attack. "They are definitely not here to steal our   
energy!"  
  
"Why does that thought not comfort me?" The odango-blonde complained as   
the dark-haired prince instinctively shielded her. "Oh, and why do they   
always have to be so ugly?" There was a hitch in her voice.  
  
Somewhere in the distance, a beeping sound came and the gasp of Mercury was   
almost drowned by the silent, tension filled atmosphere. "Min'na," the   
hoarse voice of the blue-haired woman made everyone turn their attention to   
her in concern.  
  
"Mercury?" The odango-blonde looked worriedly to her friend.  
  
"You're not going to like this," azure eyes looked up to survey their new   
enemies, "But from what my computer picked up, those things are still partially   
human."  
  
"What?" the brunette swore, "Those creepy crawlies that look like something   
out of a horror movie, are partially human? When did they stop being a whole  
human?" Jupiter half-joked.  
  
"Don't tell me, it gets worse, right?" Mars groaned.  
  
Mercury's mouth thinned before she spoke again, "I think we have just met   
the other end of the evolutionary scale; what we might have been had circumstances   
been a bit... different."  
  
"What do you mean different? Like Queen-Beryl-different because you can't   
mean that we'd turn out like that without some unholy help!" there was shock   
and bewilderment in the brunette's voice as she waved one frantic finger at   
the beings moving along the walls. Hiketsu suddenly staggered backwards into a   
wide-eyed Saiolr Mars before both crumbled, just as Tuxedo Kamen himself fell onto   
his knees, his hat tumbling, his mask crumpled in his fist. "Tuxedo Kamen-sama!"   
Sailor Moon gasped as she rushed to his side while Venus gave an equal cry of   
alarm as Mars shuddered in Hiketsu's tight embrace. "Alright, what the hell is   
going wrong now?" Sailor Jupiter demanded tiredly as Mercury typed frantically at   
her keybord, her face becoming paler by the second.  
  
"Ah, guys, those things look like they're getting ready to kill us,"   
Artemis pointed out to the distracted group, his paw pointing to the black  
beasts that were suddenly restless.  
  
Fuma put on a pair of sunglasses from his jacket as he cracked his   
knuckles. "Can we have these wonderfully, fascinating, scientific   
conversations after we get rid of the bad guys?" The blond inquired with   
sarcastic cheer though he looked with concern at his fallen comrades.  
  
"But they're half human," Mercurey began to argue in return, suddenly  
looking up from her small screen. We can't just fight them as if they were  
monsters! The problem here is not what they are but who they were!"  
  
Venus looked around with a fierceness in her eyes and worry clouding her  
mind, "Yes, but they're going to kill us and I refuse to let anyone die before   
we find out what exactly is going on here. Morally, we might be killing humans   
but damnit Mercury they're half-youma too. And if they're working to kill   
every last living thing on the Earth, then it's our duty to protect this   
planet!"  
  
"What if we--" Luna began, trying to end the fighting by suggesting   
another course of action. Obviously the strategy they had planned earlier did   
not apply to the situation anymore. Hiketsu looked up at that moment, cutting  
the black cat off before she could speak further. "They're coming," he spoke  
as the ground shook and the youma swarmed upon the barrier, pushing it back to  
the horror of those within. Blue eyes dotted with black smears stared unseen  
into the blackness merging with the invisible dome of protection, as onyx  
eyes lifted. Raven hair shifted as Sailor Mars tightened her hand around his.  
"They're coming," she echoed just as Tuxedo Kamen screamed an inhuman scream  
clutching his middle while Sailor Moon looked close to tears and hysteria  
with worry for her beloved. "Chikuso!" Jupiter swore as she pounded her fist  
against her open palm, unable to voice her own confusion as the attack from  
the outside increased and they could hear Fuma swear as blck cables twisted  
and fought against disinterested youma who swarmed forcefully upon the  
barrier. Tuxedo Kamen gasped as his transformation shattered, revealing  
the guise of the Earth Prince, and the scream that sent a shiver through  
everyone stopped as he clutched his stomach, rocking in Sailor Moon's  
bewildered arms. "They're coming," Hiketsu and Mars warned them again, looking   
into the blackness with blank stares.  
  
And in that moment, the bounds of the barrier of purification were swept   
back a bit more, leaving them out in the open and away from protection, under  
threat of being engulfed into the heart of darkness.  
  
"Well, fuck." Venus growled as she aimed her index finger out into the  
darkness, ready to call upon her powers. "No!" Mercury clasped the blonde,  
"You musn't! They could be children and mothers and fathers, they could be  
someone we know and love--"  
  
"Damn it, Mercury, we don't want to do this but it must be done!" Venus   
frowned and blue eyes flashed in regret as a white arm shoved the blue-haired   
senshi away. "There are no more choices, Mercury, we must fight for Earth and   
our survival." Golden streams of light lashed into the darkness followed by a   
scream of denial from the senshi. The barrier shattered just as the gold   
connected with black bodies pressing against it while darkness descended upon   
them en masse. Sailor Venus unleashed another attack to save the lives of her   
friends and loved ones. With no time to dwell on her thoughts, all she could   
do was keep herself alive long enough to find out exactly what had happened to   
cause this whole mess. "We can't go back, Mercury! No matter what happens,"   
Venus commanded, "we're going to win against this and we're going to uncover the   
truth!" Golden beams of power sang through the air as fire and lightning raced   
through the streets destroying everything in their path.  
  
No matter how much this will dirty our hands with blood, we have no more   
choices now, Mercury. This is war. If only the truth were not so hard, if only I   
could protect our innocence as we struggle in this fight to survive. Nothing is   
so simple anymore, and we are no longer just fighting for love and justice. Still,   
no matter what happens, I will make you one last promise. If whatever is to come   
is as bad as I think it is...  
  
Venus ground her teeth, "I'm going to make sure I take it down with me, if it's  
the last thing I do!"  
  
This is War!  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com  
  
  
* Arigatou - Thank you  
* Atama - head  
* Baka - idiot, stupid  
* Ecchi - similar to hentai, it sort of means pervert too  
* Fuku - Armor (Yes, that's right, not JUST scandalously short frilly skirts   
for otaku-fanboys!)  
* Gomen/Gomen ne/Gomen nasai - I'm sorry  
* Hai - Yes  
* Hentai - Pervert  
* Hontou ni? - "Really?" or "Truly?"  
* Ka - is similar to "huh?" It makes a phrase or statement into a question.  
* Kami-sama - God  
* Kuso - Shit/bullshit  
* Min'na - Everyone  
* Mou - An exclamation, think along the lines of "Goodness!"  
* Ne? - "Right?" or "Don't you agree?"  
* Neko - cat  
* Odango - dumpling (Thus, "odango-atama", or "dumpling head"!)  
* Ofadu - Small, paper scrolls used to weave spells. In Rei's case, it's an   
anti-evil scroll. ( More will be explained on why Hiketsu said what Rei was   
asking him to do as dangerous. But to give you an idea of the differences   
I'm talking about here, let's just say that what Hiketsu did for Rei is   
different than what Rei did for Makoto. Level wise, Hiketsu had better   
control and more experience, he has a much better grasp on magick and spells   
against the spirits than Rei does since she relies, mostly on her Senshi   
powers. Not only that, Rei and Makoto's situations were different. Where   
Makoto is possessed by the darkness within, Rei has channeling problems and   
backlashes from a magick possession that is different than actual, physical,   
virus possession. There are, of course, reasons why Hiketsu had survived up   
to this point, ne? ^_- You'll get to see his REAL powers in the coming   
chapters as well as why his name is Kagemi and why even Fuma acknowledged   
him immediately by name and thought him a powerful ally/enemy ^_^v )  
* Sayonara - Goodbye (Neptune was trying to say this before her   
communication with Pluto was cut off)  
* Senshi - soldier (Yup, they are soldiers not "scouts" -_-;; That's what   
they were supposed to be but I guess DiC and the rest of the dubbers just   
couldn't handle our kick-ass female warrior SOLDIERS! Bah humbug! What a   
bunch of wimps!)  
* Yare yare - Think along the lines of "Oh well"  
* Youma - demon  
  
*The quote that Shingo used "The eyelids of a Samurai know not moisture" is   
from the book "Daughter of the Samurai" by Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto. This is   
thanks to my friend Steven who bought me the book for my birthday. It's an   
amazing story and I would recommend it to anyone interested in Japanese   
culture, or just a very good read!  
  
  
  
A tribute to...  
A. L. a Campo (my editor)  
Lord Chaos,  
Ken Wolfe, &  
Angus MacSpon.  
  
For Don, who was one of the first to  
believe in me and this project that  
took a life of its own.  
  
And everyone who had helped & encouraged  
me during my trials and my errors ^-^;;  
  
Thank you for every dream and every  
inspiration...  
  
Thank you for everything.  
  
  
.blue.  
blueweber@hotmail.com 


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